Fall to Zenith
by Quatermass
Summary: (Dumbledore-bashing!) Sometimes, we need to fall in order to rise to our full potential. During the First Task, Harry learns of chains and lies he has lived with for a long time, for he is Harry Sitri, cousin to Serafall and Sona. But as a Devil, can he be accepted in any world? And will Serafall Leviathan's cunning plan to wed Harry and Rias Gremory work out?
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

This story is another symptom of my insanity, making yet another rod for my back in making another Harry Potter crossover. And making a crossover with _Highschool DxD_ isn't that original: there are over fifty crossovers as of writing this (one of them, _Knight of Sitri_ by itachikage, being in my favourites). And yet, this was one story idea that wouldn't stop bugging me.

Originally, it was this weird idea that Rias Gremory and Harry were related, purely because of Lily Evans' oft-cited red hair. So, the story idea, in a nutshell, was what if Harry is half-Devil, thanks to his mother actually being an exile from the Gremory family? This story was originally called _Cambion_ to reflect this.

But I was having trouble making it work, so I tried another tack. I know that there are a few crossovers where both James and Lily are Devils, but this will be a somewhat different story in many regards. In this story, while James and Lily are Devils (with James a high-class Devil and Lily having become one during the war against the Death Eaters), they didn't survive (despite being Devils) what happened.

I have to confess, I don't know a lot about _Highschool DxD_. I have the DVD of the first series and have watched some of it. This work, therefore, is a somewhat experimental one with slow updates, and one that may not pay a lot of attention to all of the canon of _Highschool DxD_. So, apologies in advance. Apologies too in advance for any fans of Dumbledore or Snape: this will be one of the few stories where I bash them overtly. Ron will be bashed too, but in passing rather than all the time. I've also decided that this is a fanfic with no harem for Harry.

Anyway, onto the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there _will_ be spoilers for both Harry Potter and _Highschool DxD_.

Secondly, there will be a lot of annotations. I don't want to hear any bellyaching about my annotations, so if you don't like it, bugger off.

Thirdly, this is an M-rated work. While the sexual references will be toned down somewhat, this is still _Highschool DxD_ , Issei will be a character in this fanfic, so, yeah. Plus, violence and language, and a few disturbing themes.

Fourthly, as mentioned above, there will be bashing of Dumbledore and Snape. You have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _Highschool DxD_ are the property of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Akeno might just zap you for shits and giggles…


	2. Chapter 1: Let the Chains Shatter

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **LET THE CHAINS SHATTER**

Life for one Harry James Potter hadn't been going that well, lately. Not that he had had a great life to begin with, what with spending ten of his first eleven years at relatives who hated his guts, making him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs. Going to Hogwarts for the first time was like being reborn, perversely, as he was able to make friends. Okay, he made new enemies too, but even so, he made his first friends.

Of course, each year had its own little adventures. Quirrell and the Stone, the Basilisk, Sirius Black and the Dementors, and now, the Tri-Wizard Tournament, with Ron thinking Harry had entered, along with most of the bloody school. Of his circle of friends, only Hermione, Neville, Luna, and the Weasley twins seemed to believe him. Everyone else in the student body seemed to view him as some sort of glory-seeker and liar, and the Slytherins, especially Malfoy and his cronies, seemed to take especial care in opening wounds and salting them. And the staff body wasn't much better. Dumbledore seemed cheerfully indifferent to his plight, McGonagall was keeping her distance, Snape was being an arsehole as usual, and of the rest of the staff, only Moody and Hagrid didn't seem to judge him.

After finding out about the dragons, Harry had told Cedric Diggory, and he knew the other Champions were prepared. He had also trained his heart out with Hermione and Luna's help, intending to use the Summoning Charm to try and get his broomstick to him. But now, he wasn't sure why he should bother. Only a few people actually gave a shit about him. He was either the Boy Who Lived, or a glory-seeking attention whore. People seemed unable to make up their minds as to what he was.

Sometimes, he wasn't sure himself. He had caught his Aunt Petunia muttering darkly about the Devil in her household. Sometimes, he had dreams of flying, on black, bat-like wings. He had met Luna when she had curtsied to him in his second year, and said it was an honour to meet a scion of the House of Sitri (whatever that was). Ginny had apologised for that, Luna being her friend. Luna, as it turned out, became more of his friend than Ginny did.

He was last. He had to face the Hungarian Horntail, apparently the most ornery of the dragons they had brought here. And if you could define his greatest feeling at this time, it wasn't fear like many would think (though that was still quite prominent in his mind), but rather, resignation. That either he'd fail miserably and possibly fatally, or else he would triumph, and all the sycophants would come back to him in droves.

He just wanted a quiet year. Was that too much to ask?

Of _course_ it was.

Outside, he could hear Bagman commenting on Cedric's scores. Which meant it was soon to be his turn against the dragons.

When his time came, he lurched out. As a Champion, he was supposed to feel confident. Instead, he felt sick to the core. A half-remembered phrase from Roman times swam into his head. _Hail, Caesar! Those about to die salute you!_

As he walked into the arena, he realised that the dragon, who had been roaring and causing a massive fuss, was now looking at him. And if he didn't know any better, it was looking at him in surprise.

Then, an androgynous voice seemed to slide into his head. _So…they have bound one such as you, as well, My Lord. To caper for their entertainment. It's sickening to see a scion of the House of Sitri reduced to this_.

Harry blinked. What was that all about? Always assuming he hadn't snapped.

 _You are confused. I am speaking to you. I am the dragon in front of you. I can speak to all Devil-kind if I wish_.

Devil-kind? What the hell was the dragon (assuming the voice was the dragon and not him going mad) talking about?

 _Do not fear my flames. Your form and frame will withstand them. But the bindings will not_. Then, suddenly, the dragon breathed a massive gout of blue flame at him. Harry was paralysed by fear as the flames engulfed him. He was sure he heard Hermione scream his name.

* * *

"HARRY!" Hermione screamed.

"It's all right, Hermione," Luna said, all too-calmly. And considering that Harry had just gotten engulfed in dragonfire, she was setting a new record for the inverse relationship between her calmness and the calm the situation warranted.

"How can you say that?!" Hermione demanded. "He…" She faltered in her tirade when she saw the flames dissipate, a blast of wind seeming to wash over her, along with a feeling of power, revealing Harry unharmed.

Unchanged, though, was another matter entirely.

He still, improbably, wore his clothes (though this was only slightly more improbable than being alive after he got hit by dragonfire), but a strange, scarlet aura, not unlike blood, surrounded him. A pair of bat-like wings, black as pitch, had somehow sprouted from his back.

There were also other changes, relatively subtle ones in comparison to him sprouting wings. He seemed to be slightly taller, just a little bit more muscled, though it was hard to tell with the robes he was wearing.

"…What the hell happened to him?" Hermione whispered, knowing that that whisper was being spoken by many others in the stands.

"He's been set free," Luna said with a little smile. Hermione was the only one to see her wave her hands. Suddenly, strident music, some sort of rock music, echoed around the arena. Of course, it came from 7 years in the future, but who cared(1)?

* * *

 _If you wanna be_

 _Really happily_

 _Just come over here_

 _Listen what I say_

Harry felt… _free_. There were few other ways to describe how he felt. It was as if something locked deep within him long ago had been unleashed. The power flowing through his veins should have felt unnatural, alien even, and yet, it felt more like he had… _become_. As if he had been lesser than what he should have been.

 _Take a ride on the Black Dragon!_

 _Room enough for everyone!_

If he had known of the word apotheosis, he would have used it to describe what he felt. Then again, considering what his heritage was, he would learn that, perversely, _apostasy_ was perhaps a better term.

 _If you have the time_

 _Be it night or day_

 _Just to feel alive_

 _Without any pain_

 _Now_ , the dragon said, _we can truly give these gawking peons a show. Do not disappoint me, scion of the House of Sitri!_

* * *

The crowd watched as the dragon suddenly broke free of its chains, and began charging at Harry. Harry, as if on instinct, took to the skies on his newfound wings, followed by the dragon. In fact, he seemed to take to flying pretty well, even more than he did on a broomstick. The figure of Harry dodged around the dragon's claws and fireballs, divebombing the dragon with hit and run tactics, firing spell.

 _Take a ride on the Black Dragon!_

 _Room enough for everyone!_

 _Take a ride on the Black Dragon,_

 _If you're down and need some fun!_

 _Black Dragon!_

 _Black Dragon!_

Of the spectators, only three truly understood what was happening. One of them was Luna. People dismissed her as eccentric at best, and at worst, mildly insane. But in truth, she saw more and further than most people. She saw things that were true, might have been true, and never were true. Oh, and hidden truths.

Two others were looking at Harry in fear, hatred, astonishment, and that feeling that a metric fuckton of work had just unravelled in front of their eyes. The unnamed conglomerate of emotions that comes when the best laid plans go agley, and when foundations have been knocked out from underneath them.

 _Take a ride on the Black Dragon!_

 _Room enough for everyone!_

 _Take a ride on the Black Dragon_

 _If you're down and need some fun!_

 _Take a ride on the Black Dragon!_

 _Take a ride on the Black Dragon!_

 _Take a ride on the Black Dragon!_

 _Take a ride on the Black Dragon!_

A particularly powerful spell hit the dragon, and it began to plummet to the ground below. Luna knew that the dragon was actually taking a dive in more ways than one: the need for spectacle had been satisfied, and it was actually faking it. Harry, meanwhile, was diving with more overt grace, and he swooped in and grabbed the golden egg, and landed, just as the dragon hit the ground near him.

 _Take the false egg with my blessing, scion of the House of Sitri_ , the dragon said into his mind. _And take care not to become bound again. Oh, and you'd better take the memories of those present. After all, advertising your heritage is not the wisest of moves.._.

 _How do I do that?_ Harry thought to himself, before it seemed to come to him, as if it was instinct. Then again, so too had flying on those wings that had sprouted from his back, and using those weird, wandless spells.

* * *

"Shut your eyes," Luna said to Hermione quietly. When Hermione gaped at her, Luna sighed, before placing her hand in front of Hermione's eyes. She looked at Harry without fear.

Indeed, within a few seconds, the collective memories of almost everyone in the area was rendered somewhat fuzzy. They only remembered that Harry, whose wings had receded back into his body, had somehow defeated the dragon, and in particularly spectacular fashion. The number that did remember could be counted in single digits.

Luna remembered, as did Hermione, the latter because Luna had covered her eyes, and the former because her brain was wired up very differently to others. Fred and George Weasley remembered because, being inveterate pranksters, they had done significant self-study in Occlumency and other mental arts, and so managed to retain what happened. Unfortunately, for the same reason, so too did Professor Albus 'He of Too Many Goddamn Names and Titles' Dumbledore, and Professor Severus 'I am a Petty and Melodramatic Arsehole' Snape.

They all watched as Harry stumbled, carrying the golden egg, ready to be tended to. And each had differing thoughts on the matter…

* * *

It felt almost like he was drifting through a dream. Harry stepped into the tent, barely acknowledging anyone nearby. After a time, he was left alone. But not for long.

Suddenly, azure light flared beneath his feet. A strange, elaborate occult sigil appeared on the ground, and he felt himself sinking into it. Strangely, he felt little fear. In a way, there was something comforting about that sigil.

As if he was going home…

* * *

The office was opulent, and many a billionaire would have looked upon it and its luxurious trappings with the deepest of envy. That is, if it weren't for the other accoutrements dotting the room. Posters, costumes, props, manga, videos and games, all pertaining to a singular obsession with a particular genre. Namely, the magical girl genre of Japanese media.

The sole occupant, currently standing in front of a desk, was, if anything, more bizarre than the room she inhabited. On first glance, she seemed either like a magical girl, or else a very young and very obsessed cosplayer. But this picture falls apart on one rather disturbing feature: despite being apparently of a very young age, the dark-haired girl had breasts an adult would envy.

In truth, said occupant just liked to appear that age, being both a magical girl cosplay fanatic, and something of a gadfly. She was, in reality, a being of considerable power. And she was currently contemplating a circular sigil, made of azure light, appearing. This may turn out to be a brilliant idea, or else a horrible idea that would blow up in her face. But it might be a gamble that would work out.

"The Boy Who Lived, and the scion of the House of Sitri…well, I'd love to say that I planned this, but, well, I guess miracles can happen even in the Underworld," the girl muttered as the circular sigil disgorged a dazed-looking teenager. "And to think, all this time, Uncle James had had a kid."

The teenager blinked, before he looked around, in astonishment. "Where…where am I?"

"Well, that's a pretty difficult question to answer, given what you have in terms of preconceptions," the girl said, with a smirk on her face. "You're in the Underworld. Or rather, to those like you and I, home. My name is Serafall Leviathan. Oh, and you're my cousin!" She hugged him. "Hello, Harry-chan!"

"Harry…what?" Harry asked, feeling like the situation was rapidly getting away from him. He had no idea exactly how much.

"Oh, is my cousin nervous?" Serafall chirped. Her form then changed, changing from a girl into an adult, though her costume remained the same size. The net result was that Harry found himself being embraced by a very buxom and very beautiful woman whose voice was a sultry purr, dressed in a magical girl costume that wasn't fitting properly, and in danger of exposing herself for all the world to see. "How about now?" she purred.

Understandably, Harry Potter's response was for his eyes to roll up in his sockets and faint. He would have collapsed straight onto the floor, had Serafall Leviathan, one of the Four Great Satans, not been holding onto him. She smiled impishly, though with genuine affection, as she gently lowered him onto a nearby couch. "You know," she mused to nobody in particular, "I think I broke him…"

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And there you have it, the first chapter. We'll be moving along quickly to get to the main part of the story. Hope you've enjoyed what I've written so far. And yes, this story will be Harry/Rias (and not a harem story). And yes, he will get his own peerage. I even have the first three members worked out…**

 ** _Queen_** **: Luna**

 ** _Bishop_** **: Lupin, Neville**

 ** _Knight_** **: Sirius**

 **Hermione will join Harry, but not as part of his peerage. So too will the Weasley twins, though whether they join his peerage or not is still up in the air.**

 **Fans of my work will notice that I use a similar conceit for the beginning of** ** _Esper Child_** **. I was originally going to set this at the beginning of Harry's fifth year, but found that too boring to write. And like** ** _Is Your Great-Aunt an A.I?!_** **, I've shifted canon forward a decade, so the events of this chapter take place in 2004 rather than 1994.**

 **Incidentally, Serafall and her use of '-chan' will probably be the only use of Japanese honorifics here. I'm not going to be a weeaboo and slavishly use them. And sorry if Serafall seems OOC in this and the next chapter. She's trying to tone down her usual childishness and playfulness, and other personality traits to help comfort Harry, who's understandably in a bit of a rough spot.**

 **BTW, the song lyrics are to** ** _Black Dragon_** **by the Vines. Obviously, I don't own the song. The song, incidentally, was used for the opening credits of** ** _Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!_** **, in case you're wondering.**

 **1\. Even with shifting canon forward, Luna is taking** ** _Black Dragon_** **from the future. Roll with it. Luna can be, in fanfic, the Deadpool of the Potterverse. Only much cuter and less homicidal. Oh shit. I just thought, what would happen if they ever teamed up?**


	3. Chapter 2: Heritage

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **HERITAGE**

Harry Potter woke up from what he believed to be a nightmare, only to find that reality was a cruel gadfly. He was still in that bizarre office, and there was that dark-haired…well, she was a woman at the moment, thankfully. And even more thankfully, she had changed her clothing to something less revealing and risqué. She seemed to be dressed in a business suit, albeit one with a _very_ low neckline and a scandalously short skirt. "Ah, so you're awake," she said cheerfully. "That's good. You should feel honoured, Harry-chan. I normally don't dress so… _boringly_. But given what must be so many shocks in such a short period, well, I thought I would ease you in, as it were. Give you a bit more time to get used to my quirks. You _are_ kin, after all."

"…Kin? What are you?"

"I am what you are. We, Harry-chan, are Devils. Try not to faint again," she added with a smirk.

"But…but I can't be a Devil. I can't be…" Harry murmured, his expression somewhat blank and bleak.

"Sadly, this is reality. You are a Devil, because your father, James Sitri, was one of them." She sat down next to him on the couch he had been placed on, and sighed. "Where do I begin? Well, obviously, you're wondering why I called him James Sitri rather than James Potter. The reason is that he was my uncle, and a young one at that. Now, from a young age, he expressed an interest in seeing the world. So, we gave him permission to act as the son of the Potters, a long wizarding line. Their own son had died shortly before heading to Hogwarts, and as the Potters have aided the Sitris before, James lived with them as a boon, with no strings attached. He even changed his birth name to James. So thorough was the change, I think his original name was erased from reality(1)."

"You didn't want their souls? My grandparents, human grandparents, I mean?"

"Puh-lease. You'd be surprised at how many Devil bargains don't involve souls. And in truth, we also wanted to keep an eye on the situation from ground level, so to speak. I mean, you know about Voldemort, obviously. Well, he was causing concern, but so too was Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore? Why?"

"Because, well, let's just say that there's more than one type of dark wizard, even if they refrain from using the Dark Arts," Serafall said ominously. "In fact, Dumbledore wanted to control James when he learned what he was, to use him as a weapon against his foes. I know this is hard for you to accept, as I'm sure you think highly of him. But Dumbledore has worn a mask for a very long time."

Harry wanted to deny that. He wanted to scream at this Devil that she was a deceiver and a liar. And yet, there was something inside him that was telling him to just listen, and make his own mind up. It was speaking to him in his own voice, not hers.

Serafall continued. "Now, frankly, your father was a bit of an asshole and impulsive idiot. When he became infatuated with your mother, well, he wasn't very good at wooing her. And by human standards, he was also a bit of a bully. But things changed, and James got a wake-up call, and eventually, the two of them fell in love. And surprisingly, she accepted the fact that he was a Devil. Unfortunately, a former paramour of hers decided to spite James Potter by murdering her. You know him very well: Severus Snape."

"Snape?!" Harry hissed. "He killed her?"

"Temporarily. Snape and your mother used to be good friends, but they began to drift apart, especially as he began to hang out with those who sympathised with Voldemort. Sadly, when they were fifteen, an incident drove them apart forever. James began bullying Snape, and Lily saved Snape. But he called her a Mudblood in a moment of anger and contempt. And a friendship was destroyed forever. Snape tried to reconcile with your mother, but she was proud and headstrong. In a way, it's a shame, because she might have been able to keep Snape out of the darkness, otherwise. Anyway, shortly after graduation from Hogwarts, Snape joined the Death Eaters, and upon learning your parents were engaged, managed to attack them. He killed your mother with a very dark curse that sliced her open(2) and fled…but while he had an idea that your father was a Devil, he didn't know that James could revive Lily."

"How?"

"Well, I'll tell you the full details later. But we can turn humans into Devils, although only if they're willing, or recently dead," Serafall said. "You'll have to learn about the Evil Pieces, now that you have come into your heritage. Anyway, Lily was turned into a Devil, and then, they had you."

Harry, understandably, felt like a major foundation had been knocked away from beneath his life. It was one thing to learn he was a wizard. That was wonderful, magical, fantastical. But to learn his father was a Devil, and so was he? That held darker undertones. And, of course, there was what Serafall was saying about Dumbledore.

Eventually, he said, "How do you know all this?"

"James kept in contact with us. However, shortly after having you, he was forced to break off contact, as he was worried about Voldemort tracking him down. Keep in mind that while Devils are immortal, we still can die. And wizarding magic can affect demons. We don't know exactly what happened next, and I suspect the bindings Dumbledore probably put on you had something to do with that, as we all but forgot your existence until now, but I think I know what probably happened next."

"Dumbledore said it was love, my mother's love, that saved me from Voldemort."

"Well, he wasn't wholly wrong. James used to look at all these esoteric spells, even those little-used by us. And I think he used a spell that few Devils would ever think of using, if only because we do put something of a premium on self-preservation. We talked about it once shortly before he went into hiding. It's called Defensio Ultima, the Ultimate Protection. In order to use it, one has to sacrifice someone you love in order to give yourself power. But the strongest power is given to someone when loved ones willingly sacrifice themselves for the recipient of Defensio Ultima. And given that you were a child, both your mother and father willingly sacrificed themselves to empower you. It wasn't just your mother's love that protected you. Her love is the shield, while your father's love is the sword. Such a selfless sacrifice, done willingly, boosts your power, theoretically, up to Longinus levels."

"Longinus? What is that?"

"I'll tell you later. You have a lot to learn about our world." Serafall pursed her lips. "Now, where was I? The upshot was, you were made very powerful. But Dumbledore, fearing your power, bound it, save where Voldemort was concerned. He left you with the Dursleys deliberately, knowing that they would abuse you psychologically, at the very least. I know this, and much about your life, because I had a quick look-see through your memories while you were out. Anyway, the old goat left you there because it meant you were malleable, and thus controllable. He probably had your life and death planned out for you, probably to die while fighting Voldemort. And if you ever managed to slip your leash, he would reveal that you are a Devil, and would ensure your destruction. Even humans know of ways to kill Devils, and if I didn't know any better, the wand the old goat wields is none other than the Elder Wand, which is practically a Longinus, albeit a temperamental one. And the Killing Curse, when powered up enough, can kill a Devil. Dumbledore would have made plans for when you slipped his leash."

"Like now?"

"Well, eventually. Dumbledore is a fool, but an intelligent one, even though that sounds like an oxymoron. He is a fool in that he believes only his way is the right way, but he is both intelligent and cunning. While he may not know for sure where you've ended up, he will suspect, and he will try to get you back under his control. As a doomsday option, he may call in the Fallen Angels or Angels to kill you and Voldemort. That may backfire on him, especially if he calls in Angels, but the Fallen are another matter entirely. Many of the Fallen are notoriously mercenary, and they would jump at any chance to kill Devils, no matter what the consequences. Others are allies to us, like their leader, Azazel." Serafall sighed gently, putting a reassuring arm around Harry. "Harry, your friends, your real friends, are very much in danger because of you. Leaving aside what Dumbledore might do to get you back, or what Voldemort might do, the Fallen will certainly target your friends if you go back."

"I haven't got many friends," Harry said bitterly.

"Yeah, I have to confess, I'm disappointed in Ron. He's done some pretty brave things with you, like head with you into the Chamber of Secrets, even if he didn't manage to enter, and that obstacle course with the Philosopher's Stone. I just think he's an idiot who doesn't quite understand what friendship means, especially with an unwitting and unwilling celebrity. Nothing sinister. I don't think he'd react well to you being a Devil, either. But you have other friends: Hermione, Luna, Neville, Fred and George…not to mention your godfather and the werewolf. They knew of your father's status."

"Then why didn't they tell me?"

"They were probably afraid of how you'd react, and keep in mind, they still followed Dumbledore. It's possible that Dumbledore Obliviated their memories, too." Serafall tapped her lips thoughtfully. "Anyway, I have an idea. You'll have to run it by your friends."

"But what about Voldemort? I mean, I can't let him kill innocent people."

"Well, the innocence of much of Magical Britain is debatable given how readily they turned on you, but I know you have this whole 'being a hero' thing. That's fine, I can live with that. I have a way to make sure Voldemort kicks it." She poked the scar on his forehead playfully with a giggle. "Once we're done with all of that, we have something else to arrange. Tell me, Harry, how do you feel about getting married to a beautiful redhead?"

Harry blinked. "Umm, what?"

"Oh, a bit sudden, really, isn't it?" Serafall asked with a laugh. "We'll talk about it later. But in summary, I want you to save a very nice girl about your age from being married to someone who could give the Malfoys lessons in how to be a complete asshole."

"…By marrying her?"

"Yeah. I'm a shipping magnate." She poked her tongue out at him playfully. "We'll discuss that later, Harry-chan." She stood, and strutted over to the desk. "I'll go and send you to my little sister Sona to rest for the time being. She's a bit like Hermione, all serious and academic, though she's less opinionated and bossy, just a bit frosty. She resides in Japan. I've called ahead before you woke up, she's expecting you. See you later, Harry-chan." With that, Serafall clicked her fingers, and Harry felt himself sink into yet another glowing sigil.

* * *

Serafall sighed, changing back into her preferred form of a magical girl. It was so tiring, being so serious. But poor Harry…he'd been through more than a human should have to deal with. Sometimes, humans, even the ones who waved the banner of righteousness, were as disgusting as the worst of the Devils or the Fallen.

Sighing, she picked up the phone, and rang a certain number. After a few rings, it was picked up. The voice that spoke sounded a little harassed and harried, despite being that of the ruler of the Underworld. " _Sirzechs Lucifer here._ "

"Sirzechs-chan! It's me!" chirped Serafall.

" _Serafall…to what do I owe this pleasure? I am having something of a crisis here, as everyone's trying to figure out why there was a sudden, powerful Devil appearing briefly in Scotland. We thought it might have been either a really powerful Stray, or else someone walking around without a care for attracting attention from Angels, Fallen or not._ "

"I have the answer to that, Sirzechs-chan," Serafall said with a grin. "D'you remember James-chan?"

" _James Sitri? The one who made the human witch his Queen?_ " Then, he realised. " _You found_ _ **him?**_ _You found his son?_ "

"Yeah. Somehow, the old goat managed to block us from remembering him properly. But a dragon managed to realise what he was, and undid his bindings. And guess what? I've done some preliminary tests of his power. At rest, anyway. He's pretty damned powerful. Practically High-Class if not Ultimate. So, I was thinking, as a favour to you and your family…well, your father's pretty obsessed with making more powerful Devils, right? And he's considering marrying Rias off to that prick Riser?"

" _Yes. Why? Do you think James Sitri's son is an acceptable substitute?_ "

"Well, once you strip away Riser's regenerative abilities, he's basically an overpowered lech. Plus, there's the prestige of marrying the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter-Sitri. It's nothing concrete by any means, but he's certainly better on most counts than Riser Phenex. And I reckon Rias will be happier with Harry-chan."

"… _You're calling him Harry-chan already._ " It wasn't a question. Then, a sigh. " _I know you have a thing for your sister, but do you have a thing for Harry?_ "

"Not yet. But give it time," Serafall chuckled.

" _I'll raise the possibility with my father. No promises, though._ "

Serafall smiled, and said, "That's fine. I'll have to just make like Emma Woodhouse and get to shipping(3)! Talk to you later, Sirzechs-chan!" She hung up the phone, and leaned back, satisfied as she placed her hands behind her head. Okay, there was a lot of work to get done, but nothing that couldn't wait until tomorrow…

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's had a nice, long conversation with Serafall Leviathan, and has learned some things about his father and Dumbledore. Next chapter will be Harry meeting Sona and Rias (along with Rias' Peerage) for the first time. Rias will be about Harry's age, fourteen, for this meeting, as will Sona. They won't be meeting at Kuoh Academy, as, to my knowledge, high school in Japan doesn't start until they are fifteen or so. Instead, they'll be meeting at Sona's Japanese home.**

 **Now, people will notice that I only bashed Ron in passing. After a certain point, Ron's relevance in this story will be nil. However, he isn't the sneering near-Death Eater or easily-bribed pawn of Dumbledore that he seems to be portrayed as in bashing fics. Here, he is close to canon, but is just a jealous idiot rather than truly malicious. By the time he realised what he has done wrong, it'll be too late.**

 **And why does Serafall use a phone, despite being a Devil? Because she can.**

 **1\. I couldn't be arsed thinking of a decent demonic or pseudo-demonic name for James. I sort of went down the same route of Ford Prefect from** ** _The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy_** **: Douglas Adams said that apparently Ford, when he registered his new name, actually had his old name unpicked from space and time, and replaced with his new one. Hence why Zaphod Beeblebrox calls Ford by that name.**

 **2\. Namely** ** _Sectumsempra_** **, the spell Snape developed and Harry (unaware of its effects) used in** ** _The Half-Blood Prince_** **.**

 **3\. For those of you wondering what the hell I am talking about, Emma Woodhouse was the titular character of Jane Austen's novel** ** _Emma_** **. And let it be said that Emma is probably one of the first shippers ever written about.**


	4. Chapter 3: Family and Peers

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **FAMILY AND PEERS**

Sona Sitri was more than a little annoyed as she waited in her living room. Her older sister had called (and at one in the morning!), and while Devils were nocturnal, they did need a certain amount of sleep, and she tended to sleep later at night so that she wouldn't feel so sleepy during the day, when Devils were more affected by sunlight. And she was told that she would have to play babysitter to a cousin they've just recently discovered. Okay, it was great that they found Uncle James' offspring and all, but even so, being asked to play babysitter to a boy who had only just discovered his heritage…

Suddenly, the sigil of the Sitri family appeared, and her cousin fell out with a humorous shriek. Okay, he was mildly entertaining at least. She appraised him as she helped him to his feet. Well, he certainly looked like Harry Potter, given what those British Wizards kept shrieking on about. He even had the infamous scar.

"Are you Harry Potter?" she asked in English.

The teenager nodded wearily. "Are you Sona?"

"I am."

"Ah. Sorry to impose on you, but…it's been a long day. Fighting dragons, learning my father was a Devil, and my Headmaster is a bastard. Do you have a lounge I can crash on?" Sona gently guided him to one, and he smiled at her. Tiredly, wearily, but it was a genuine smile of gratitude. "Thanks. Good night." And with that, he toppled onto the couch, snoring softly.

Sona was a little put out, but given what Serafall said over the phone, it was understandable. He hoped he could make himself presentable when Rias came around with her Peerage, early in the morning.

* * *

Sona woke up to the smell of something very delicious. Dressing herself, she wandered out, to find Harry cooking in the kitchen, divested of his outer robes. When he noticed her, he looked a bit sheepish. "Sorry, I thought I'd make breakfast as an apology. Do you mind what I'm cooking?"

"No," Sona said. Just this once, anyway. It smelt so delicious. Her Peerage was currently training back in the Underworld. She noticed that Harry was something of a talented cook. "How did you learn to cook like that?"

He scowled, not at her, but at some unpleasant memory. "Let's just say that my so-called relatives, my human ones, made me their little servant."

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's all right. Nobody who meets the Boy Who Lived thinks he grew up in anything other than absolute luxury," Harry remarked, a little bitterly. "I mean, you know who I am, don't you?"

"Besides my cousin? Yes. We Devils keep an eye on the Magical World, especially as a number of our clients come from there. Harry Potter, aka the Boy Who Lived. Son of James Potter and Lily Evans, born July 31st, 1990. Supposedly the vanquisher of Lord Voldemort on Halloween, 1991(1), when Voldemort attacked the Potter household. You are the only known survivor of the Killing Curse, _Avada Kedavra_ , which, when powered up enough, can kill even Devils and Angels. Your survival is possibly due to some obscure ritual. Of course, we didn't make the connection between you and Uncle James. My sister told me that Dumbledore may have had something to do with that. Since 2001, you have been attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Rumour had it that you were involved in the recent Chamber of Secrets fiasco, as well as Sirius Black's escape from custody at Hogwarts after a brief recapture."

"He's innocent," Harry muttered.

"Hardly surprising. The evidence as given was incomplete. The wizards get even more sloppy than normal humans when emotions run high and prejudices blinker them," Sona remarked. "Oh, it could have happened the way they think it happened, but they don't think about alternatives. They have an allergy to thinking. Then again, mages are hardly unique in that regard. Humans, Devils, Fallen Angels…it irritates me."

"Your sister told me that you were like my friend, Hermione, serious and studious," Harry said.

"I'll take that as a compliment. My older sister may be one of the Four Great Satans, but she also enjoys frivolity a touch too much," Sona said, resettling her glasses.

"…Four Great Satans?"

"…I forgot, you're new to this. The abridged version is, the Underworld is ruled by four Devil rulers, known as the Four Great Satans. My sister holds the position of Leviathan, which could be considered Foreign Affairs. The Lucifer position is an overall leader, and my friend Rias' brother Sirzechs is the current incumbent. The Beelzebub position deals with research and development, and it was the current incumbent, Ajuka, who developed the Rating Game and Evil Pieces…which I will explain later. Finally, the Asmodeus position, held by Falbium, is that of the Devil in charge of the military of the Underworld. They all tend to be somewhat…eccentric, though when push comes to shove, they are excellent at their jobs."

Harry nodded, clearly taking it in. Eventually, he said, "Your sister was nice, if somewhat strange. I don't know who's stranger, her or my friend Luna."

"I wouldn't know."

* * *

After a delicious breakfast, Sona had a chess board out, as she waited for Rias and her Peerage to come here. Harry watched the dark-haired, violet-eyed girl with the glasses intently. In a way, she did somewhat resemble him, superficially, anyway. "This is your first major lesson. Given that you are a natural-born Devil, sooner or later, you will get a set of enchanted chess pieces known as Evil Pieces. Because of a major war we had against Heaven and the Fallen centuries ago, we use these chess pieces to help repopulate our people, as well as grant us a set of servants. You'll have fifteen such pieces, a Queen, two each of a Bishop, Rook and Knight, and eight Pawns. Now, you'll be the King by default. If you fall, it's checkmate, obviously. But you have power of your own as a high-ranking Devil. The Knight relies on speed and strength to strike fast, but if their mobility is hampered, then they are at a disadvantage. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded. "What about the others, like Rooks and Bishops?"

"A Rook has immense strength and defence, and so are powerhouses. A Bishop has strong magical ability, for offence, defence, and healing. A Queen has all of these attributes combined. Now, a Pawn may seem useless, but keep in mind that under special circumstances, like when they're in declared enemy territory, they can be 'promoted' to higher ranks. We convert humans and other beings into Devils with these. Obviously, I'm sure you'd prefer to allow them to give consent first, though you can use the Evil Pieces to revive the freshly deceased. The servants you assemble with these Evil Pieces are known collectively as a Peerage. My Peerage is currently training in the Underworld. However, you will get a chance to meet the Peerage of my friend, Rias Gremory."

"Is she nice?" Harry asked.

"The Gremory family is known for the affection they show their friends and their servants, so I guess you can put it that way. Am I not nice?"

"Well, yeah, you let me crash here after your sister finished giving me the expositional onslaught," Harry said. "I'm sorry for offending you."

"None was taken," Sona said. "I am still getting used to the idea of the Boy Who Lived as a cousin, frankly."

Harry shook his head. "I'm still trying to get used to the idea of being a Devil."

"True enough," Sona said with a slight, sympathetic smile. There was a knock on the door, and Sona got up. "Please, excuse me." She went to the door, and Harry heard a brief conversation in Japanese, including his own name. He stood up out of politeness when Sona led a quartet of people in, three girls and a boy.

The boy he briefly focused on. He was a handsome, nice sort who reminded him of Cedric Diggory, albeit with blonde hair and blue eyes. Next to him was a short but cute girl, in her early teens at the latest, with silvery hair and golden eyes, and who peered at him in a way that seemed to be sizing him up.

And then, there were two girls about his age. Both were very buxom and very beautiful. One of them had long dark hair in a ponytail, purple eyes and a gentle, serene smile on her face. The other had blue-green eyes, and blood-coloured hair that reached down to her waist. She carried herself with a quiet assurance and confidence.

"Harry, I would like to introduce you to Rias Gremory, the heir to the House of Gremory," Sona said, indicating the red-haired girl. "And this is her Peerage. Her Knight, Yuuto Kiba." The boy was the one indicated. "Her Rook, Koneko Toujou." The silvery-haired girl was the one indicated, and Harry wondered briefly how much strength was in that petite girl's frame. "And last, but not least, her Queen, Akeno Himejima." The dark-haired girl was the one indicated, though Harry could have gotten that through process of elimination.

Harry, remembering that in Japan, bowing was considered polite, did so. "A pleasure to meet you all."

They all returned his bow with their own. "The pleasure's all ours," Rias said in English spoken like a native, or at least the Queen's English(2). "It's not often we meet a celebrity, especially when said celebrity turns out to be a Devil, and nobody knew, not even you. Sona said you needed someone to show you the ropes while her sister tries to work something out. And luckily, today's a public holiday(3)."

"I told him about the Evil Pieces, but not about the Rating Game, Rias," Sona said. "I thought that could wait until he was settled into his life."

"Well, that's not all we do with our Peerages," Rias said. "Those of us who have business in the mortal realms often have to track down and deal with Stray Devils. My brother called earlier this morning, and told me what happened. They initially thought a ridiculously powerful Stray had been found in Scotland, near Hogwarts. Which turned out to be you."

Harry nodded. "Though I don't think I'm a Stray."

"No, of course not. Stray Devils are fugitive lower-class Devils, usually the servants of other Devils who have deserted the Peerage of their masters. Problem is, those who do so have little left to lose, and generally attack humans indiscriminately, feeding on them."

"They are often fun to deal with, though," Akeno said with a smile.

"Akeno's a closet sadomasochist," Rias explained. "She's good-natured to just about anyone but an actual enemy. Don't worry, Harry, you'll never be on her bad side."

"I'm just curious," Harry said. "Were your Peerage all human before you converted them?" When he saw the dark look passing between Rias and Akeno, he said, "Sorry, I didn't want to offend you. I mean, this world is all new to me, and I was just curious."

After a moment, Akeno said, still with the same good-natured smile, "I understand. But while I was not wholly human, I don't like to discuss it with people I barely know. Maybe when we get to know each other better."

"Sorry if I dragged up painful memories. I know what that's like."

Akeno asked a question of Sona in Japanese, and she gave a brief reply that seemed to satisfy Rias' Queen, who gave a reassuring smile to Harry.

"I'm human," Kiba said, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, used to be."

After a moment's hesitation, Koneko quietly said, "I am a _nekomata_."

"A _nekomata?_ " Despite working with Care of Magical Creatures, Harry couldn't be said to know of this sort of being.

"A form of cat _youkai_ or magical being," Rias explained. "Koneko appears human because she chooses to be."

"And cute to boot. Then again, Sona said you're a Rook, right, Koneko?" On the silvery-haired girl's nod, Harry shrugged. "Well, I guess I don't want to mess with you, eh?"

"That is wise," Koneko said. Her voice was a quiet, gentle monotone.

"Don't worry, Harry, Koneko reserves most of her ire for perverts," Rias said. "Each of my Peerage have had rather dark lives, rather like Sona said you did. But they're also my family as much as they are servants. I certainly treat them better than most mages treat House Elves. Of course, some Devils aren't so kind, like that harem-hungry lech Riser Phenex." Rias then scowled. "I heard that my father is considering marrying me off to him, just so that he can have more powerful Devil children…"

Harry blinked. Suddenly, Serafall's words came back to him. _Tell me, Harry, how do you feel about getting married to a beautiful redhead?...I want you to save a very nice girl about your age from being married to someone who could give the Malfoys lessons in how to be a complete asshole_. He then groaned. "Oh no…"

"What is it?" Rias asked.

Harry indicated Sona. "I think her sister's trying to scupper that…by arranging a marriage between you and I."

Sona pinched the bridge of her nose. "Dammit, Serafall."

Rias, meanwhile, walked over to Harry, and peered at him. "Well, I think you need a shower. But I could do much worse. Of course, there's my father to worry about. Serafall might be able to persuade him, though." She gave a smile. "Well, go and have a shower, and then, we'll get to know each other a little better…"

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **There you have it. Harry's met Sona and Rias, along with Rias' Peerage. I didn't include Sona's Peerage because I was less familiar with it, so I put in that bit about training. Sona's strong enough to defend herself from anyone dangerous who might come her way, anyway.**

 **In the next chapter, we'll be heading back to Hogwarts, and finding out what Dumbledore intends to do, and Luna coming to the rescue…**

 **1\. It's 1981 in canon, but as stated before, I shifted the time of Harry Potter forward a decade.**

 **2\. Yes, Rias speaks with an American accent in the anime. But I wanted to give her a more aristocratic air, so she speaks with a British RP accent (Received Pronunciation, or 'the Queen's English'), though she will speak slang.**

 **3\. November 23** **rd** **(besides being the anniversary date of the very first episode of** ** _Doctor Who_** **) is actually a public holiday in Japan. While the First Task takes place on November 24 in canon, here, it takes place on November 22. Yes, I am being overly pedantic, but I wanted to give Rias a plausible excuse for staying home from school, besides playing hooky.**


	5. Chapter 4: Meddlesome and Troublesome

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **MEDDLESOME AND TROUBLESOME**

There are many men in the world who are willing to do great evils, more so than any other would-be leader of men, simply because they think only they are in the right. Albus Dumbledore was by no means unique in that regard, though his dress sense, somewhere between a pantomime Merlin and the Sixth Doctor(1), was another matter entirely. He had once started with the best of intentions, and even had some for a time after he defeated Grindlewald. But the accolades, titles, and power he had perverted what good there was in him into darkness. Not that he would believe that. Even if he was ever called evil, he would call himself a necessary evil, despite evidence to the contrary.

In truth, Dumbledore had not just fallen prey to the corruptive nature of power, but the Nietzschean admonishment that those who fight monsters should take care not to become them. He had come to view people as belonging to three categories: Useful, Expendable, and Threats.

Severus Snape was one of the few who was both Useful and a Threat. Although Dumbledore had enough dirt on Snape to bind the dour and greasy-haired upstart to his will, Snape was at least clever enough to try and do the same. Dumbledore was not a complete fool: he knew that Snape would turn on him given the right chance.

For now, they were united with a number of common goals. They both wanted Voldemort dead. In Dumbledore's case, Voldemort was a threat who wouldn't stay dead. In Snape's case, he wanted to divest himself of at least one master, before he dealt with another.

And, of course, there was the subjugation of Harry Potter. In Dumbledore's case, it was because the Boy Who Lived could be a useful weapon, either on the battlefield, or in the political arena. In Snape's case, hurting the son of the hated James Potter and the woman who had spurned his affections so viciously held great appeal.

"I'm surprised you haven't pushed for him to be married," Snape remarked as he doodled on a ritual calculation sheet. They were looking to try and locate Harry the morning after the First Task, and the normal tracking devices Dumbledore created weren't being very helpful. They guessed he was in another dimension.

"There's a number of reasons for that," Dumbledore said. "The first is his heritage. Should it ever come out by accident that he is a Devil, then the fallout would be spectacular. The second is that I considered a few options, like Ginevra Weasley. The girl is obsessed with Harry. I considered enticing Molly Weasley with the contents of the Potter Vault to help dose him with Amortentia, but Molly is too prideful and too shackled by petty qualms. And, of course, there's the first reason to take into consideration. I needed someone I could keep on my side to be his wife. Thirdly, I cannot risk him turning any would-be spouse into an ally. Fourthly, whoever he marries, a lot of girls will be disappointed, particularly those in the political arena. It's rather like how Elizabeth the First kept suitors at bay, because anyone she could have married could have caused problems, even if it was only because whom she didn't marry."

"Playing matchmaker as well as kingmaker," Snape sneered. "Well, it seems the Dursleys didn't beat him down enough to make him pliable enough."

"It wasn't that that was at fault, Severus," Dumbledore snapped. "The dragon somehow sensed what he was, despite the spells I put onto him. Dragons have connections to the Devils and the Angels, Fallen or otherwise. In retrospect, I should have persuaded that punch-drunk imbecile Bagman and that moustachioed dried-up piece of excrement Crouch to use some other creature for the First Task. Then again, I should have seen it coming, that someone working for Voldemort had entered Harry's name into the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

"You took advantage of it," Snape pointed out.

"To test his skills, as well as to further mould his psyche. Though that fool Ronald Weasley should have stuck by him. Unfortunately, I couldn't even bribe him to be a spy. Young children don't make good spies, as they're not as good at keeping secrets. And he might be as idiotically principled as his mother, even if he is a fairweather friend. He'd baulk at that, I'd think." Dumbledore sighed, pinching his nose briefly, before plucking a sherbet lemon from a bowl. "I don't need this," he lamented before he began savouring his candy.

Snape sneered, and returned to his work. After a while, he broke the silence. "And why can't you use your burning featherduster to find him?"

"Fawkes may be able to find him, but even a phoenix is vulnerable in the Underworld, which is where I suspect he was taken," Dumbledore said. "Either that, or warded Devil territory somewhere in the world. And he is trying to slip my leash anyway."

Before Snape could make a snide remark, a shrill screeching noise emanated from one of the instruments in Dumbledore's cabinet. And it was not one to do with Harry. Someone was using some sort of Devil sigil on the grounds.

"This is no coincidence," Dumbledore muttered darkly as he examined the instrument. He then called imperiously, "Fawkes!" The phoenix came to him obediently. And Dumbledore used him to get to where he needed to go…

* * *

 _A few minutes earlier_ …

This, Hermione reflected, was a VERY bad idea. She had only come here to the grounds of the castle because Luna had said she knew of a way to get back to Harry. Harry's disappearance had thrown Hogwarts into an uproar. Ron, who had been chastised when he realised Harry had to face dragons, voiced fears that Harry may have committed suicide, an irrational fear (after all, he could have allowed himself to die by dragonfire), but it was clear Ron had regretted turning on Harry. And he had been pranked within an inch of his life by Fred and George.

Cedric wanted to find Harry to thank him for giving the heads-up about the dragons. And to apologise for how Harry was treated. McGonagall was also worried, and when Hermione had uncharacteristically remarked, " _Better late than never_ ," McGonagall, instead of taking points away, actually looked a little shamefaced.

It was Luna who had reassured Hermione, and had gathered Harry's true friends. She had also sent Hedwig off with a letter to Remus Lupin, and her own owl to Sirius Black, each with instructions. Now, Hermione (with Crookshanks in a cat carrier), Luna, the Weasley twins, and Neville were gathered around a piece of paper with an elaborate, occult-like sigil, which Luna was carefully editing. She didn't like what Luna was telling her. It was worrying enough to learn that Devils existed, never mind that Harry was one of their number. She was an agnostic, as were her parents, so to learn that God existed…but was apparently as dead as the proverbial doornail, was a bit of a shock. Along with the original Lucifer.

"We're not going to Hell with this, are we?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Not to Hell or the Underworld, no," Luna said. "Hell's purely for damned souls, and Harry's left the Underworld. Daddy got this for me to study."

"Why would he get you a demonic circle?!" Hermione demanded.

"We study all kinds of magical creatures and beings, Devils included," Luna said. "And with a few alterations, we can use this to transport ourselves right to Harry. I'm pretty sure he's in Japan at the moment."

"…Why would Devils go to Japan?" Neville asked nervously.

"Why not?" Luna asked.

"How do you know he's in Japan anyway, Luna?" Fred asked.

"Because I have a bit of the Sight. I wanted to be a fortuneteller once, you know. The future foretold, the past explained, the present…apologised for(2)."

"You can see the future?" George asked.

"And the past. And the present. Even sideways. Now, Fred, George, please don't drool. Hermione, don't cry. And Koneko likes cat people." Luna put the sigil on the ground, and gathered magical energy, and began channelling it into the sigil.

"Wait, what did you mean by…?" Hermione began, puzzled, until she saw a flare of flame in the distance. Her eyes widened when she saw Dumbledore approaching. But gone was the mask of the kindly eccentric grandfather. Dumbledore frightened her, here and now, and there was no twinkling joviality in his eyes, only malice. The pedestal she had put him on was crumbling before her very eyes.

Dumbledore whipped out his wand, and sent a curse at Luna, the spell slicing through her torso like a shotgun blast, sending blood and viscera flying. Hermione screamed in anguish and fear and horror, just as everything was consumed in a flare of azure light…

* * *

…only to stumble as they ended up in a fairly well-appointed living room, ruined partly by Luna bleeding heavily on the carpet as she collapsed, smiling. Hermione was staring at Luna as she lay dying, not realising that it was now the afternoon when it had been morning, and that Harry was sitting on one of the couches, along with a number of other teenagers, most of them girls. Not until she heard him yell, "LUNA!"

"She's dying," a rather buxom, red-haired girl said, kneeling down beside Luna. "She won't last for very long."

"I need one of those Evil Piece things!" Harry snarled. "I won't have her die like this!"

The girl with the short dark hair rushed around with a box. "Serafall delivered this to me while you were out. Are you sure about this?"

Before Harry could say anything, Luna spoke up, her voice weak and rasping. Hermione was surprised she could talk: she could see Luna's ribs and the tattered remnants of lungs through the hole in her chest (and Hermione wanted to be ill on realising that). "You can do it, Harry. Make me part of your Peerage. I trust you. Besides…I like new experiences…" Then, with a terminal rattle of breath, Luna died.

As everyone else gaped in horror, or else tried to suppress the tears welling up inside, Harry knelt down next to Luna, and muttered, "I'm sorry." He then took a red chess piece, the Queen if Hermione was any judge, and pressed it against Luna's back. The chess piece sunk into Luna's body. Luna's body spasmed, convulsed, before the buxom girl with the long dark hair came forward.

"I'll heal her. I can do that now." She then pressed her hands to Luna's back, and the flesh regrew. Luna began gasping, before she rolled over, clearly alive.

Shakily, she said, "Well, that was an interesting experience. Can I do it again?"

It took Hermione, as well as just about everyone present, several seconds to realise Luna was making a joke, albeit one in poor taste. Harry, meanwhile, hugged Luna, weeping. So too did Hermione. The others looked on, humans and Devils, in relief, as well as enjoying the sentimental scene…

* * *

"So, you are Hermione Granger," Sona said, sitting across from Hermione. Hermione found it very hard to believe that the dark-haired girl with the glasses was a Devil, and a powerful one at that. Harry, the Rias girl and her Peerage, Luna, Neville and the Weasley twins had left the room to catch up (the silver-haired girl taking Crookshanks out of his carrier and taking him with her). Sona had asked Hermione to stay behind, as she could see the questions in Hermione.

"I am," she said with a nod. "Luna said that Harry is a Sitri, so does that make you his…?"

"Cousin." Sona contemplated the chess set in front of her. "I hope you're not thinking of a way to change Harry back to a human. That's frankly impossible. He was born a Devil, not a human, and only Dumbledore's meddling made you think otherwise."

"Harry's my friend. And…I know he's a good person, despite…what he is. If anything, I'm more worried about Luna. Before she left, Rias said that that Evil Piece thing turned Luna into a Devil, and that Harry gained an interesting servant. I can't help but be worried. Harry doesn't like having servants, and I certainly don't like the concept."

"She'll be fine. Harry didn't use that Evil Piece to gain a servant. He used it to save a friend. Believe it or not, friendship and love are not alien concepts to Devils," Sona said. "Rias and I asked Harry about his past. Given how those Dursleys treated him, it's amazing he's still capable of either love or friendship. The fact that he is speaks volumes of his character. He's a veritable Angel in Devil's clothing. And neither I nor Rias consider that to be a bad thing at all. And if he wants to shelter you from Dumbledore, then I will allow you to remember our existence. But keep in mind that you are entering a world more dangerous than even Magical Britain. Dumbledore and Voldemort may be dangerous even to a Devil, but there are beings who make them look like insects."

"If you're trying to scare me away from helping Harry, however I can, then you can forget it. I got petrified by a Basilisk and nearly had my soul eaten by Dementors," Hermione said, her resolve welling up inside. "I won't become part of his Peerage, but I don't have to to help him."

"Bold words, and it's good to see such loyalty. And I see your thirst for knowledge. I'll educate you about Harry's new life. He probably needs every friend he can get…"

* * *

Remus Lupin was surprised at the owl from Luna Lovegood. However, the letter itself unlocked memories, memories Albus Goddamn Dumbledore had locked away. He had been asked by Luna to fetch Dan and Emma Granger, to prevent them from being used as leverage against Hermione. She had sent him a Portkey in the letter, a simple sheet of paper, that would bring him to her when he was ready.

He was also surprised at how swiftly Dan and Emma accepted the situation. He didn't say anything about Harry being a Devil, just that they were in danger from Dumbledore. So if he had listened in to their conversation while he waited outside their home for them to pack, he would have been surprised.

"It's not a coincidence I sensed the powerful Devil in Scotland, Dan," Emma muttered. "I'm sure it's already causing a stir amongst the Grigori. And if Hermione needed to leave Hogwarts all of a sudden…"

"We'll deal with that one step at a time, dear. Though I don't think Hermione will be happy with us keeping things secret from her for all this time. Especially about what you are."

Emma sighed. "We'll be heading into Devil territory. We'd better hope they're in the mood to allow me there. After all, I'm one of the Fallen, and Fallen and the Devils, we don't really get along…"

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And there you have it. Harry's friends have made their escape, and Hermione has a big secret even she isn't aware of. Much of this chapter was a rebuttal against the usual tropes of 'Harry is betrayed by Ron and Molly Weasley' stories. Ron has a lot of faults, especially in this story, but he's not a bad guy. I have to wonder what people's problems are with him that they demonise him so.**

 **BTW, although we will go into further detail in the next chapter, Emma Granger's name as a Fallen Angel is Apollonia. Why? In theology, Apollonia is not an angel, but is the patron saint of** ** _dentists_** **. And as for Hermione's mother being a Fallen, well, I didn't plan it. It came into my head as I began to wrap up this chapter. The reason why Sona and the others can't sense it is because, like Harry, Hermione has had bindings placed on her, albeit by her mother and in the interest of protecting her. Hermione herself doesn't know, though it's an in-joke that will be discussed in-story that Dan liked to joke that Emma was an angel who fell from Heaven for him.**

 **Review-answering time! I'm surprised at how quickly I got some (and I'm already at 4K views!). Anyway, plums: A powerful wizard, in this story, could overpower their spells, as well as use certain rituals and the like to enhance their effectiveness against Devils. Their magic works different from the Devil magic. And Dumbledore didn't use Memory Charms on the Underworld. That'd be stupid. It was closer in principle to the Fidelius Charm: he probably used a variant of it or a similar spell on Harry to conceal what he was. (A Guest reviewer pointed out this possibility after I wrote this answer, so someone at least can think about it)**

 **diagonalpumpkin** **: Thanks for your praise regarding how I wrote Sona and Rias. I thought of Sona as basically a quiet and more stern version of Hermione (or perhaps a teenaged McGonagall), while Rias is somewhat aristocratic, albeit in a friendly way. I thought of her as a much friendlier version of Fleur or Narcissa.**

 **Zentari2238** **: I am the author of this story, not you. You do NOT tell me how to write my story. I thought the song apposite to the situation at hand, and unlike some idiots, I don't write my story like a script. You don't like how I write my story, well, you're free to leave.**

 **1\. The Sixth Doctor from** ** _Doctor Who_** **is one of the more infamous incarnations for many reasons, including wearing an infamous multi-coloured coat that, in my words, looks like a rainbow had dysentery. Although I find his TV incarnation to be one of my least favourites, the character as portrayed in many of the Big Finish audios is another matter, as they actually get to develop the character.**

 **2\. Another** ** _Doctor Who_** **reference. Luna is aping Organon, a hapless fortune teller from the story** ** _The Creature from the Pit_** **.**


	6. Chapter 5: Way to Fall

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **WAY TO FALL**

Hermione watched as the others filed back into the room. Rias came forward. "Well, I guess I should introduce myself properly. I am Rias Gremory, the heir to the House of Gremory. This is Akeno Himejima." She indicated the girl with the long dark hair. "This is Yuuto Kiba." The blonde was the one indicated. "And your half-Kneazle kitty is being petted by Koneko Toujou." This was, of course, the silver-haired girl cradling Crookshanks.

"So…they're part of your Peerage, right?" Hermione asked, trying to get a handle on the moment, and failing. "And that means…they're your servants?"

"Hermione's got a bee in her bonnet about that lately," Harry said quietly to Rias. "What with the House Elves and everything."

"Ah. Well, there are a few things you must remember, Hermione. Each of my servants are also my friends, and in truth, we're more like a group of friends than a master with servants. Some Devils treat their Peerage as servants or slaves. In any case, House Elves do get magic out of their bonds to their owners. It's how they survive. It's not a good state of affairs, understandably, but trying to free them willy-nilly would only hurt them. Of course, how each Devil treats their Peerage varies. I like my Peerage alive, well, and happy. But I know of at least one Devil, Riser Phenex, who uses his Peerage to amass a harem, and treats them as…sex objects at best." Rias' face twisted in disgust. "And keep in mind that the Angels have a similar system, the Brave Saints, though they use playing cards rather than chess pieces."

"…This is a lot to take in, you know," Hermione said.

"A whole new world, yes," Sona said sympathetically. "Even more so than the Magical World. Harry told me that you are a first-generation Witch, what the others of your kind call 'Muggleborns'. It must have been a shock to enter that world for the first time, just as it is to enter ours. I'll make no bones about it: our world is not perfect, any more than the rest of the world, magical or otherwise, is. So I suggest you use your head before you act quixotically."

"We haven't had the best of lives before joining Rias' Peerage," Kiba said. "Believe me, the life I have now is infinitely preferable to what I had before." The hard sincerity in the handsome boy's eyes made Hermione wince inwardly.

Looking to change the uncomfortable (on both sides) subject, Hermione turned her attention to Koneko. She remembered Luna's words. "So…Luna said you like cat people?"

Koneko nodded. "Crookshanks likes you. But he would prefer being let out more, especially to catch rat traitors."

"She's a cat person herself, quite literally," Luna said, the hole in her clothing having been repaired. "A _nekomata_ , a cat _youkai_."

Unlike Harry, Hermione had read of the _youkai_. And this was, surprisingly, easy to deal with. It meant something she was familiar with. "Well, that's nice. Do you get affected by catnip?" she asked, perhaps a little thoughtlessly.

Before Koneko could answer, everyone in the room felt a strange sensation outside. Even Hermione, though for some reason, to her it felt familiar, even comforting. It felt like a light shot through with darkness, as odd as such a description entailed.

"A Fallen," Rias hissed.

Sona frowned. "But they're advertising their presence, deliberately. There's no aggression in it. They're merely warning us of their presence. Maybe they want to parley."

Akeno scowled briefly, before her face regained its composure. Then, there was a knock on the door. Sona held up a hand, before heading to the door and peering through the peephole. "There's a werewolf, a human man, and a Fallen woman…" She blinked, and then looked at Hermione, and then back through the peephole, and then back at Hermione.

And then, Hermione felt a chill run through her very being. "Oh, no…" she groaned as she put two and two together, to make four. A number which, if she recalled correctly, had unlucky connotations in Japan, where they were currently, as it was pronounced the same way as the word for death. The werewolf was Remus Lupin, and Luna had sent him a letter to get her parents. Which meant…

"She's holding up a white flag, of all things," Sona muttered. "Rias, get your Peerage ready, but don't make any aggressive moves until she shows otherwise."

As she opened the door, carefully, Hermione could hear Remus say, "…never felt anything like that in all my life. What are you?"

" _Fiery the angels fell; deep thunder rolled around their shores; burning with the fires of Orc,_ " the voice of her mother quoted. "I actually prefer that version, that one from _Blade Runner(_ _1)_." Then, she must have addressed Sona, for she said, "Sorry about getting your attention like that, and that cheesy line. I've got another one: I come in peace."

"You had better be," Sona said. "I am only suffering your presence because your daughter is here. And it is rare for a Fallen Angel to approach a Devil under the auspices of parley."

"Hey, it's fine. Anyway, I didn't fall." Emma Granger walked in, a sextet of black, raven-like wings on her back, and radiating an aura of power. "I _jumped_." She turned, and her eyes locked with those of Hermione.

Hermione felt much of what she had known about her life crumble away. What had happened to Harry, and what she learned of Dumbledore, confirmed by the willingness he had to murder Luna, had already started part of it. As her mother approached, Hermione got off her chair and backed away. "No…no…" she whimpered in denial.

"Hermione, honey…"

"Stay away from me!" Hermione yelled. But before she could move further back, that _creature_ masquerading as her mother was suddenly before her, her arms reaching out…

…to give her a hug.

Then, Hermione heard gentle sobs from her mother, tears soaking into her robes at her shoulder. "I'm sorry," her mother whispered. "I'm so sorry. I had to conceal it, for your sake more than anything else. When I heard about what happened to your friend…I felt sick. Knowing I had done something similar to that meddling old goat. But the time for hiding is past. You know what Harry is now, I'm sure of it. Now it's time for you to know what _you_ are."

* * *

Harry saw Hermione and her mother enveloped in an actinic flare of dazzling light. "She's a Nephilim," Akeno muttered, her tone betraying mixed feelings.

"A what?" Harry asked.

"Half-human, half-Fallen Angel," Rias supplied. "I can see why Hermione's mother concealed this. Nephilim are both prodigies and pariahs with extraordinary powers."

The light faded, and Emma Granger moved away from her daughter. Harry realised that, as with his body, Hermione herself had changed a little. He had become aware recently that Hermione was an attractive girl, but now, she had become truly beautiful. Her bushy, frizzy hair had become elegant waves, her front teeth weren't so rabbit-like, and she had become a little more buxom.

But the most startling change of all were the black raven-like wings on her back. _Eight_ of them.

"This is what you really are, Hermione. You are a Nephilim. But more importantly, you are my daughter," Emma Granger said.

"You're my daughter too," Dan said. "Nephilim or not."

As Hermione embraced her parents, sobbing, Harry actually noticed what looked like a brief flash of envy and anger come over Akeno's face. And it was then that he could guess what she was before she became a Devil…

* * *

Afterwards, they were gathered in the living room, people either sitting down or standing. "I owe Hermione an explanation. And given how many Fallen treat Devils, you'd probably want to hear the story too. As long as you're not actually diabolical, I don't give a damn about you being Devils," Emma said, Hermione and Dan sitting next to her, Harry, Rias, and Sona sitting across from them. "I'm not exactly a die-hard supporter of Azazel, but like him, I prefer not to rock the boat, unlike some I can name."

"Kokabiel?" Dan asked, having already been told by his wife about some of the major players in the factions.

"Kokabiel," Emma confirmed. "And others. Don't get me wrong, if a Stray Devil ever showed up, I would annihilate them. You may have heard about my work in Britain."

"Apollonia, the Sole Stray Slayer," Sona said. "We've heard of your reputation. Strays killed swiftly by a Fallen, with a single note left with their remains with 'Apollonia' on them. The Underworld doesn't know whether to praise you or hate you, given the troublesome Strays you've stopped."

Emma nodded. "While I don't go by that name anymore, after I left Heaven, I use it as a trademark, to show what I am doing to Angels and Devils alike."

In a small, almost lost voice, Hermione asked, "Mother…why did you leave Heaven?"

"For a number of reasons. Perversely, one of them was a matter of principle. The Angels' morality is a fairly strict one. Devils cannot praise God or deal with anything holy without suffering from pain. I thought this unjust when it came to humans who were devout, but had been turned into Devils, despite remaining devout. Another was a somewhat more selfish reason. I wanted to know love, particularly romantic love. And then, there was the Church. It is filled with good and devout people, but there were parts of it that are as depraved and immoral as the worst Devils. I even tried to stop some vile project involving Holy Swords. Finally, I had taken an interest in the war between Dumbledore and Voldemort. As I said, I didn't fall. I jumped. The Archangel Michael wasn't too happy."

"I'll bet he wasn't," Rias remarked.

"Hermione, darling, remember when I used to say that your mother was an Angel who fell from Heaven for me? It was our little joke," Dan said. "And I was calling you Daddy's little Angel for a reason."

Emma nodded, turning to her daughter. "I love you, Hermione. But I knew that, should anyone notice your heritage, they might try to exploit it, or else try to kill you. I bound your Angel powers while you were still in the womb, and I hoped I could undo those bindings at the right time. I had to do it now because, well, if your friend is a Devil, and he's going to be living with them, then you needed to get this out of the way." She looked over to Akeno. "Especially as we have another Nephilim here."

Harry turned to face Akeno, noticing the anger glittering in her eyes. "That is a private matter," she said tightly.

"Akeno," Emma said, having been told her name earlier, "I don't really care what you are, only your character. As long as you're nothing like Kokabiel and his ilk, I'm fine. If anything, I'm glad there's another Nephilim, even if you're a Devil now, because my daughter has someone to talk to about the pitfalls of being a Nephilim."

Akeno looked at Rias, who then looked to Emma. "As long as you don't threaten me and mine, as well as rocking the boat here, I don't see any reason to not let you and your family remain here. Harry spoke highly of your daughter, and if such a friendship can't be broken by him being a Devil and Hermione being a Nephilim, then I see no reason to break it."

Emma nodded. "We came here partly to get away from that mess Dumbledore has caused, and maybe find a way of dealing with it."

"My sister thinks she can deal with Voldemort," Sona said. "She told me when she dropped off the Evil Pieces. Dumbledore is another matter."

Before they could discuss anything further, there was another knock on the door. Sona sighed. "Please let that be your father and Sirius Black, Luna," she said. "I don't think I can deal with more surprises."

Thankfully, this turned out to be the case. Though there was a bit of a ruckus when Sirius congratulated Harry for scoring a hot redhead buxom girlfriend…

* * *

Lord Gremory peered at the marriage contract. It was true that he had been intending to marry Rias off to Riser Phenex, in spite of her objections, because he wanted more powerful progeny. However, this proposal, from his son and Serafall Leviathan, had its own merits. True, Harry Sitri was very much an unknown quantity, and Serafall could be manoeuvring herself to try and get an advantage. Such were the political games played in the Underworld.

But he, like many others, had felt the power when Harry Sitri awoke to his true nature. Not quite as powerful as a Phenex, true, but certainly powerful nonetheless. And Serafall believed that this was merely the tip of the iceberg, that he may have power to rival that of the Four Great Satans. And when Serafall Leviathan was actually serious, you paid attention. The chance to be the father-in-law to a major power in the Underworld? And Sona, in a brief moment of contact with Serafall while the latter dropped off Harry's Evil Pieces, had observed Harry. He certainly had none of Riser Phenex's arrogance.

Lord Gremory decided that a personal visit was in order. He had known James Sitri when that Devil was young. An arrogant, prideful thing, at least initially. But by all accounts, Harry Potter had been somewhat quieter and less egotistical. He would want to visit the boy who may very well become his future son-in-law before he finally put pen to paper…

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And there you have it: Hermione's secret revealed. There may be a little tension between her and Akeno for a while, but they'll actually become friends. And in case you're wondering why Lord Gremory wants to meet Harry and judge his character before signing the marriage contract when he doesn't show that concern for Riser marrying Rias, he just wants to make sure Harry isn't a threat to him personally.**

 **It just occurred to me, though, that Sirius would make a good mentor for Issei. He could actually get Issei to tone it down a bit, as far as being a pervert is concerned. The next chapter, dealing with the Horcruxes, will be a somewhat darkly comic one, even cracky. You have been warned.**

 **Oh, and the title comes from** ** _Way to Fall_** **, a song used for the end credits of** ** _Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater_** **. I wish I called this fanfic that, but it's a bit late now.**

 **1\. In** ** _Blade Runner_** **, Roy Batty quotes a modified version of a line from** ** _America: A Prophecy_** **, by William Blake. I chose to use the** ** _Blade Runner_** **version because it was appropriate for a Fallen Angel.**


	7. Chapter 6: Horcrux Horror Show

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **HORCRUX HORROR SHOW**

 _A few days later_ …

Of the situations for Harry to end up in, being stripped to his underwear and in the middle of a ritual circle while his cousin, currently taking the form of a disturbingly buxom girl in a magical girl outfit, worked on said circle was one of the weirdest and disturbing he'd been in. Then again, the last few days had been full of that. Besides learning that he was a Devil and Hermione was a Nephilim, he had had to save Luna's life by turning her into a Devil herself. She was disturbingly chipper about that, as she found being a Devil to be an interesting experience. Then again, this was Luna Lovegood, a girl for whom normality simply didn't apply.

Then, he had met Rias' parents. After a long talk, Lord Gremory decided that, in lieu of Rias wedding Riser, she would marry Harry. However, the marriage itself would not happen for some years yet, and for that, the two teenaged Devils were grateful. It meant that they could get to know each other. Already, they were on quite good terms.

And then, Harry met Rias' brother, Sirzechs Lucifer, and his wife, Grayfia Lucifuge. Harry was surprised at how casual the ruler of the Underworld was. Then again, when you have enough power to stay at the top of the pile, so to speak, you can afford to be casual, Harry supposed. He was also quite nice to them all, though he did give Harry the 'if you ever hurt my sister' spiel. Sirzechs was also accepting of Hermione and her parents, as long as they didn't cause trouble. If anything, he got along swimmingly with Sirius.

Sona, meanwhile, began to teach Harry how to use the family magic, which was generally water-based. Serafall was also able to use ice-based magic. Harry did have a firm basis in magic anyway: in fact, his magical power was enough to make him, in Sirzech's words, an honorary Gremory, and he could learn the basics of the Power of Destruction. But funnily enough, he had an unusual twist to his innate water-based magic. Serafall, in a childish fit of nomenclature, called it 'Steam Power', though that was a rather gross oversimplification.

In many ways, it was the opposite to Serafall's ice-based magic. Harry could raise the temperature of any aquatic solution. In fact, he could make a cup of tea rise to a perfect temperature within an instant…or make it explode in a scalding hot geyser. Sona, ever the analytical type, theorised that if Harry wanted to, he could boil the water content of a person's body, turning it to steam in an instant, with gruesome results(1). In addition, he could actually manipulate water vapour to create a cloud of steam, which could certainly block the eyesight of opponents (and, as Serafall facetiously pointed out, could create an instant sauna to relax in), or even create a damaging steam jet that could cut through flesh and metal like a hot knife through butter.

During that session with his cousins, Harry also learned about the Horcrux bound to him. A Horcrux was a kind of phylactery, a fragment of soul torn from the main soul using a ritual coupled with a murder, and bound to a container. Somehow, Harry had ended up with a Horcrux of Voldemort embedded in his scar. Serafall theorised that this was due to Voldemort having already created a lot of them: apparently he had made a number of deals with Devils to gain some of his powers, and he wanted to renege on the deals by remaining immortal. His remaining soul, thus, was fragile, and he had probably intended to create a Horcrux anyway. But with Harry's demise, rather than using Harry as one.

All of which led to this moment. Because the Horcruxes acted as an anchor on the main soul of Voldemort, the one in Harry could be used to, effectively, drag Voldemort and his other Horcruxes into the Underworld. Thus solving one problem for Harry, and for Magical Britain into the bargain. What's more, they could do a tricky bit of feedback through the Dark Mark. The upshot was that it would kill any marked Death Eater. Serafall said it was going to be all _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ when it happened, with melting faces and exploding and imploding heads.

As Serafall finished the circle, she said, "Now, I'm not gonna lie, this is going to hurt, Harry-chan. A lot. The Horcrux is basically latched onto you like a tick, and it has been consuming some of your magic and life-force. Of course, if you think this is going to hurt, imagine what it's going to do to Voldemort."

"I'm trying not to."

"Aww, don't be like that, Harry-chan."

"No, it's not because I want to be merciful or anything. It's because I'm not sure I want to imagine the pain."

"…Fair enough, though Akeno-chan might disagree. Once Voldemort and his hilarious Horcruxes are in the Underworld, I'm gonna send his ophidian ass to Ajuka Beelzebub. With any luck, he can make Voldemort into something fun. I'm thinking a Basilisk plushy. Ooh! Or a Prinny! I've always wanted a Prinny!"

"…A what?"

"Human soul reincarnated as a penguin slash shock-sensitive explosive," Serafall explained. "There's this brilliant game that they released in Japan last year with Prinnies called _Disgaea_. Hmm, maybe I should try cosplaying as Etna…" For a moment, she was distracted, before she said, "Well, that's for another time. Now, brace yourself, Harry-chan, 'cos this is gonna sting!"

Shortly after azure light flared up, and Harry's world was consumed by pain, Harry's last sane thought for a few minutes was that it was more than 'stinging'…

* * *

Severus Snape was having a fairly good day, plotting his revenge against Harry Potter. He was almost finished triple-checking the ritual he and Dumbledore was going to use, he had taken 30 points from Gryffindor over Ron Weasley breathing too loudly, and he had made Hagrid cry (the oaf believed he had a chance with Madame Maxime, and Snape let him down in the exact opposite of gently). God may not be in his Heaven, but all was right, or soon to be right, with Severus Snape's petty little world.

So he was understandably annoyed when his face started melting, though not as much as he was in pain.

He had happened to be walking down the corridor, trying to avoid the eye (the crazy magical one, naturally) of Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, former Auror, current crazy paranoiac (though then again, paranoia is when they aren't out to get you), and destroyer of developing ears through bellows of "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" at decibel levels Brian Blessed(2) would be proud of. Moody, oddly enough, suddenly clutched his arm in pain at the same time as Snape did. This confused Snape for all of 1.21 seconds, until he realised that either Mad-Eye had been secretly a Death Eater, or, more likely, a Death Eater had been secretly Mad-Eye. Certainly, a couple of ingredients had gone missing from his private stocks lately, ingredients that could have gone into Polyjuice Potion.

Snape's eyes met those of 'Mad-Eye', and they shared a look, that of men who know that, somehow, they are completely and utterly fucked. Then, Mad-Eye began vomiting up what looked like semi-digested Polyjuice Potion, with his features changing until they became those of Barty Crouch Junior.

Snape wanted to say something along the lines of 'Rumours of your death have been grossly exaggerated', but sadly, he could feel something wet running down his face that was not sweat, accompanied by a burning sensation that spread from his Dark Mark, and into his body. He did get to see, with some pleasure, Barty Crouch Junior's head spasming and twisting around like out of some demented Muggle horror film, only to explode in meaty chunks, like a demented Muggle horror film.

Unfortunately, many of life's pleasures are transient, and Snape's pleasure at Barty Crouch Junior's demise was particularly brief, as he was now enjoying the dubious pleasure of having one's face melt.

And he knew who was responsible. In a roundabout way, he was right. While it was Serafall Leviathan actually causing his demise, it was through Harry Potter, and through Voldemort, that her ritual was having an effect. But he merely thought of Harry, and with his last thoughts, cursed his name, as well as that of his parents.

A few students had witnessed the demise of both teachers, including Ron Weasley. After losing his breakfast, he focused not on the fact that Severus Snape had died horribly, but that Snape was dead. He was thus more than happy to follow the lead of a Muggleborn who started an impromptu performance of _Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead_ , despite the fact that Snape was a wizard.

* * *

Igor Karkaroff, while trying to try and admonish Viktor Krum to do better in the next Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, began screaming, before his head imploded, shrinking in on itself like it had instantly desiccated. Krum was horrified at the spectacle, but once Karkaroff toppled over, dead, he found himself not bothered. The man was vicious and spineless, and Krum didn't like the way Karkaroff seemed to latch onto his fame.

Krum was just somewhat disappointed that Hermione had disappeared a few days ago. Maybe the French champion, Delacour, might be open to a dance at the Yule Ball…

* * *

As Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge stared at the half-molten remains of Lucius Malfoy in his office, he found himself fearing a number of things. He feared what accusations would be levelled at him at killing Lucius Malfoy when the man's face suddenly melted off. He feared that without Malfoy's donations, he wouldn't be able to keep up the lifestyle a Minister must show. And he feared what that Merlin-awful mess that was once Lucius Malfoy's head was doing to his very expensive carpet. It was going to take a LOT more than a Scourgify to get that out…

* * *

In an abandoned house at Little Hangleton, once the site of the Riddle family, the three occupants were in varying states of distress, pain, and dying. Peter Pettigrew, known for twelve years as Scabbers the Useless Fat Rat, had just exploded his head all over his lord and master's infantile homunculus body.

Said master, Lord Voldemort, once known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, was in a world of pain as he felt something PULL on his last fraction of soul. So too was his faithful familiar, Nagini, who was thrashing around like a cut snake, only she was not cut. With a _pop!_ not unlike the sound Pettigrew's head made, Voldemort and Nagini vanished in a strobe of azure light. Four objects around Magical Britain followed suit…

* * *

Afterwards, Harry's eyes fluttered open with a groan escaping his lips. He felt like 10 kilos of shit in a 5 kilo bag. Then, his world exploded into pain again when Serafall cheered "SUCCESS, HARRY-CHAN!"

"Quiet, please, Serafall," Harry muttered. He rubbed his head. He wondered if this was what having a hangover was like. He decided that, if at all possible, he would like to avoid getting badly drunk, if only to avoid anything remotely like this.

"But Harry-chan, we did it! We removed the Horcrux from you, the others from the world, and now…" Serafall held up a strange, penguin-like creature, like a living stuffed doll with wide eyes, pitch-black pupils on white sclera, which was wriggling and trying to get out of her grip. "I have my Prinny! Harry, meet Bitch, the Prinny Formerly Known as Voldemort!"

"Let me go, dood! I am Lord Voldemort, dood!" the penguin creature snapped as he futilely flapped his wings. Voldemort had a high voice, but this voice was comical. "I will not be treated like this, dood!"

"I've always wanted to do this," Serafall said in a stage whisper to Harry, before she yelled, "PRINNY PUNT!" With that, she drop-kicked the Prinny Formerly Known as Voldemort across the room.

Harry just stared as Voldemort bounced off the walls like a soccer ball, screaming all the while. He then bounced to a halt right next to Harry, and, with a concussed look to his doll-like eyes, slurred, "Did anyone get the number of that truck?" He then, in accordance with the laws of comedy, collapsed.

"Hmm. I hope he's a bit more resilient in future," Serafall said with a pout, before walking over to a table with a number of items. There was a very annoyed snake, a large cup or goblet (though not the Goblet of Fire), a ring, a locket, and a tiara or diadem. "Wow! Jackpot! I think these items will be great compensation to those Devils Voldemort shafted."

"Why?" Harry asked, getting shakily to his feet.

"Oh, well, there's three of the Founder's Relics of Hogwarts, save for Gryffindor's Sword, plus what looks like one of the Deathly Hallows…and I think there's pretty good eating on the snake."

The snake looked startled, and then began shaking its head vehemently. Harry heard it hiss, " _No, we…we taste really bad! Eat the penguin! Eat the penguin!_ "

Harry was never so glad as to know Parseltongue at that moment, even if it didn't go away with the Horcrux. He began laughing his head off. Quite frankly, he needed it. He hadn't had much to laugh about for a while…

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter, despite the dark humour. Anyway, despite the ludicrous number of chapters you guys have gotten so far, this'll be the last one for a while. I don't know what to do with the story, at least until we get to the events of** ** _Highschool DxD_** **proper. If we're lucky, we might be able to do the timeskip between this chapter and the next one…**

 **1\. I'm thinking somewhere of a messier version of Isaac McDougal's powers from the first episode of** ** _Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood_** **. I'm thinking his steam powers here.**

 **2\. Brian Blessed, as many of you may know (but I'm putting this out there in case you don't) is an actor infamous for being loud and hammy. His performances, ranging from Prince Vultan from** ** _Flash Gordon_** **, to King Yrcanos in** ** _Doctor Who: The Trial of a Timelord: Mindwarp_** **, to King Richard IV in** ** _The Black Adder_** **, can frequently be summed up in two words: loud and hammy.**


	8. Chapter 7: Yule Be Astonished

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **YULE BE ASTONISHED**

Christmas Day, and the Yule Ball. Magical Britain was in some disarray, especially as so many of its most prominent members had died rather gruesome deaths. Barty Crouch Senior had recovered from the Imperius shortly before being escorted back to the Ministry of Magic to answer questions as to why his son had been found impersonating Mad-Eye Moody (his remains had been identified by the real Moody, who had been discovered when McGonagall and Flitwick were going through the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and the impostor's effects).

And, of course, Harry Potter had seemingly vanished from the face of the Earth. He'd been gone for a month now. Already, dark rumours circulated, some calling him a coward. Certainly, Draco Malfoy and his circle of friends seemed to think so (though Draco's position was becoming less tenuous, given that Snape and Lucius Malfoy had died, and the more impartial Professor Sinistra had become the Head of Slytherin). Ironically for his turning his back on him before, though, Ron Weasley became one of his greater champions, or at least his loudest. Regret, after all, is a sharp spur.

Dumbledore hadn't been idle. Snape's death set his attempt to retrieve Harry back somewhat, but he was able to finish the development of the ritual needed. But when he tried to retrieve Harry, he got sent back a crudely-decorated scarecrow of Harry, labelled, in Japanese, 'Harry-chan'. Each time he attempted said ritual, he got the same result, until he got a crude scarecrow of himself, albeit with a knife in the groin, and a label called 'wether'. Which was another name for a castrated goat. It was a threat against him personally, he knew.

He had to try another tack. He began working on another ritual. He should have it ready before the new year. And even if Voldemort was dead, which wasn't certain, he needed Harry here, either as his bound little weapon, or else dead and buried. Then again, maybe he didn't need a ritual. The Goblet of Fire had entered Harry into a binding magical contract, after all. And should he not show up for the remaining two Tasks, his magic would be forfeit. That would be bad enough for a normal wizard, as anyone who survived would be a Squib, a subject of disgrace in the Magical World. But a Devil, being beings of magic more innate than even wizards and witches, were certain to die.

With any luck, Harry Potter would come crawling back to him, or die. Either way was fine.

* * *

Professor McGonagall felt some small relief at the passing of Snape. The man's intelligence was in no doubt, but the way he treated any students outside his House, especially those from her own, was appalling, not to mention his history as a Death Eater. And once he had shown himself to be more in Dumbledore's favour than she was, he had reminded her of that at every opportunity he could. His manner of death was horrid, but McGonagall couldn't find it in herself to feel much more than a small iota of grief. She felt more grief, frankly, towards Harry Potter.

She hadn't really done enough for him, had she? Part of the reason she had been harsh with the points she had taken off in his first year (the detention, where Hagrid took them into the Forbidden Forest, was Dumbledore's imbecilic notion, one she couldn't override) was a reaction to Snape's snide comments about her favouring Harry for his celebrity. It had been meant as a spur for Harry to follow the rules, unlike his father. Sadly, she thought that might have backfired, especially as Harry had a tendency to get into trouble, albeit out of righteousness rather than a desire to make trouble. He had, for example, gone to stop Quirrell from stealing the Stone when she believed (not unreasonably given the enchantments on the Mirror of Erised) it was safe.

There were little failures and big failures, partly because McGonagall tried to hold herself to as high a standard as possible, even if at times she did bend the rules (like making Harry part of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team in his first year). The latest was how her House treated Harry after his name came out of the Goblet of Fire. Dumbledore told McGonagall to distance herself, as she was too close to the issue. Now she wished she hadn't.

And, of course, the absences of Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom. Her most favoured student academically, and the boy who had been all but repressed by his grandmother. She was actually somewhat gladdened at the absence of the Weasley twins. Flitwick had been bemoaning the absence of Luna Lovegood. Where they had all gone, nobody knew.

Now, she looked at the Champions, ready to proceed into the Great Hall. That sullen boy Krum with the part-Veela beauty Fleur, an odd couple, but oddly, not a mismatched one. Indeed, they held themselves with dignity and grace, though Fleur had more grace than Krum. Cedric Diggory with Cho Chang. The other students milling around, with Ron Weasley in rather unfortunate-looking dress robes.

But no Harry Potter.

As the students milled around, however, the doors from outside suddenly opened, and a strange procession came in. First entered a rather petite girl, perhaps in her early teens, though it was hard to tell, with silver hair in a bob, and yellow eyes, dressed elegantly in a style that seemed vaguely Japanese. McGonagall, being a Cat Animagus, felt her instinct screaming at her. A _nekomata_ , she realised, but with something else in the mix.

Then entered the banes of her existence, the Weasley twins, dressed very snappily indeed, and escorting two very different girls. One was Luna Lovegood, smiling in her serenely scatterbrained way. The other was a buxom, dark-haired girl of Japanese descent, who also had a serene smile, albeit gentle rather than scatterbrained, and dressed in a style reminiscent of a _miko_ or Japanese shrine maiden.

Then, she found herself gaping as a girl, escorting a blonde-haired boy with very attractive features (and dressed in a tuxedo), entered. It was Hermione, except she had somehow transformed. The hair was wavy, her face more elegant and aristocratic, and her bearing was very confident.

Neville Longbottom was next, escorting yet another strange girl, this one with short dark hair and glasses, along with violet eyes.

Then, finally, the biggest shock arrived. Harry Potter came in, dressed smartly in a tuxedo, albeit one with a distinctive cape that made it look like dress robes. He had become, like Hermione, more elegant and aristocratic, and with a more confident bearing. He was escorting a girl of his age, dressed in a very expensive-looking dress, with hair the colour of blood, and blue-green eyes. She had the bearing of a Pureblood, albeit one who was somewhat easygoing. And she saw that her buxom figure was already causing a stir amongst many of the boys present.

After a moment, McGonagall found her voice. "I see that you have decided to attend the Yule Ball, Mr Potter," she said, raising an eyebrow. "With some interesting company."

Harry smiled. "You could say that. Am I late?"

"Actually, you're just in time. Mr Potter, would you kindly come over here with your partner?" As he did so, she asked, "And may I know your name?"

"Rias Gremory, heir to the House of Gremory," the red-haired girl said with a smile. "And Harry's fiancée."

McGonagall winced when she heard Ginny Weasley growl in annoyance. Though since when did Harry Potter have a fiancée?

"I've never heard of the House of Gremory," Draco Malfoy remarked loudly, in a tone that didn't even bother hiding disdain.

After a moment, Rias said, in a stage whisper to Harry, "Serafall was right, he _does_ act like Riser."

"What did you say?!" Draco snarled, in a way that suggested he barely avoided adding 'Mudblood'.

"I was merely commenting on the fact that you act like someone I have the…displeasure of knowing," Rias said coolly.

"Enough," McGonagall said, intervening before things got any worse. She wondered what Professor Dumbledore's reaction to Harry Potter's return would be…

* * *

Dumbledore's reaction couldn't be discerned by McGonagall, as he was trapped in his office, in a block of ice, only his head left free enough for him to breathe (though she had hit him with some sort of silencing spell). Meanwhile, this girl in a bizarre costume was singing to Fawkes in Japanese. She had called the song _Cha-La Head-Cha-La_ , and he was sure that when she began singing about frozen dinosaurs that she would play with, she meant him(1). She had somehow appeared in his office and froze him without warning, or so much as a by-your-leave.

After she finished singing, she turned to Dumbledore. "You've been a very naughty boy, Albus-chan. Fawkes here was a gift to the Founders from the Phenex family, bound voluntarily to serve Hogwarts since the time of the Founders, but you and a few headmasters before you have used some nasty binding spells. Fawkes here reckons that only Phineas Nigellus Black was worse than you to him personally. I'm going to bring him back to the Phenex family, as a peace offering. Of course, what you did to my dear adorable cousin was, if anything, worse. He is family, after all, and adorable family at that. And you should have thought very carefully about what you did to a scion of the Sitri family. Especially the cousin of the Leviathan, one of the Four Great Satans. Which is me, incidentally." She waved cheerfully at Dumbledore. "Hi!"

She then went over to his instruments. "And in case you're wondering about the contract the Goblet of Fire has on Harry-chan, well, the Goblet was a favour by the Sitri family to the first organisers of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. To use modern day computing terms, a member of the Sitri family has root access. I've removed Harry from the list of Champions. Bagman was a bit disappointed, but I now own his debts, and therefore his punch-drunk ass. And it's a small price to pay to help Harry-chan."

She then pranced up to Dumbledore. "Y'know, I wondered what to do about you for some time, Albus-chan. A favourite I wanted to do was make you a Squib, use a few memory charms so you forget a few things, like your toilet-training, and dump you in a Muggle retirement home. But I thought that too painless, at least on the physical torment front. And you left Harry with the Dursleys, who did a lot of that. Actually, I went there this morning to punish them. You didn't get any alarms because I know how to bypass wards like you erected quite easily, even those that bar Devils. I was surprised when the horse bitch actually had a teensy sliver of remorse about what she did…up until I revealed what Harry-chan and I were. Then she started going on about freaks. It was then I decided what to do about them, and you."

Then, her demeanour became serious. Deathly so. "You brought this upon yourself." She thrust her hand into the ice, as if it was air, and then plucked the Elder Wand from his pocket, extracting it. "I'm getting the Invisibility Cloak too. Harry-chan deserves to keep it. But the other two Hallows, I'm taking with me. Harry-chan and his friends will be leaving Magical Britain, forever. The Death Eaters are dead, and Voldemort isn't a problem. Actually, you're going to be joining him. Maybe with you both gone, Magical Britain might be less fractious, at least for the time being. Oh, dark lords will arise, even if they wear a mask of righteousness. But maybe there might be some peace for a while. Now, brace yourself, Albus-chan. 'Cos this is gonna hurt…"

* * *

The Yule Ball was in full swing, with Harry and Rias dancing. In a way, this was a date, not their first (they had gone on two proper dates before back in Japan), but certainly one of their most important. She had helped teach him to dance (being raised by the Gremorys, she had been taught many things required of the aristocracy).

At one point, Rias met the eyes of the Delacour girl, and smirked at the anxiety in them. Part-Veela could sense the presence of Devils.

Soon afterwards, they, along with their friends, sat down at the Gryffindor table, near Ron (who got ditched by Padma Patil, his original partner) and Ginny. An awkward silence fell (insomuch as it could fall in the still-noisy Great Hall), before Ron said, "Sorry, mate. I…I should've believed you, but…"

"Ron," Harry said quietly. "I accept your apology. But…I don't know if we can be friends anymore. You thought I was a liar and out for myself. You were jealous of me. And…I've found out things about myself, things that will have you guys wondering about me, more than the whole Parselmouth thing." As Ron looked downcast, Harry hurriedly said, "Look, I wish you the best of luck, Ron. And you too, Ginny. Merlin knows you need some better luck in your lives."

As Ginny glared at Rias, Rias said, "He told me about what he saved you from, in the Chamber of Secrets. Nobody should go through that, Ginny."

Ginny paused, actually shown some sympathy from the girl who had stolen Harry away from her. She then asked, "Who are you, exactly?"

"Rias Gremory. Heir to the Gremory family. You probably haven't heard of us. Harry came here partly to say goodbye. He's leaving Hogwarts and Britain. And before you say anything about the Tournament, we've found a way around that. And we've done some cleaning out of some garbage. Let's just say that Voldemort isn't your problem anymore."

"Do you know what happened to the Death Eaters?" Ron asked, making a surprising connection. "Like Snape or Malfoy?"

"You might think that, I couldn't possibly comment," Rias remarked with a smile(2). "Consider it Harry's parting gift to Magical Britain. Not insults or anger, but taking out the problems plaguing you."

Harry smirked inwardly at the thought of another parting gift, for the Weasleys, given their lack of money, and the fact that, despite Ron's idiocy earlier this year, he still thought of them highly enough. The Sitri family was wealthy after all, so he didn't need his vault at Gringotts anymore. He took the magical artifacts from it, and told the Goblins to transfer it tonight to the Weasley vault. Not all of it: he was also making sizeable donations (anonymously) to St Mungo's Hospital and the DMLE. The former was to ensure that Neville's parents were to be looked after, as Rias pointed out that even Devil magic couldn't bring them back from their state. However, if they ever happened across a Sacred Gear with healing ability, it might be different…

* * *

The rest of the evening went very well. Eventually, Rias, Harry, and their friends left the castle, having made their farewells. Harry had left a letter with McGonagall, and sent another to the _Daily Prophet_. In it, he was announcing his withdrawal from Hogwarts and from Britain. Privately, in his letter to McGonagall, he admitted what he was, and how his cousin was responsible for the deaths of the Death Eaters, along with Voldemort being vanquished. He also listed Dumbledore's crimes, and said that he would soon share Voldemort's fate.

It was up to Magical Britain, now, to clean up after themselves. Harry had a new life ahead of him, one free from the shackles of being 'the Boy Who Lived'.

* * *

And in the Underworld, Serafall Leviathan, in cosplay as Etna, strutted about like an ornery sergeant-major on parade day, in front of an army. Well, an army composed of five soldiers. Bitch, Wether, Nag, Walrus, and Piglet. All now turned into Prinnies for her amusement. Voldemort, Dumbledore, Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley.

"Now, my mephitic misfit minions…"

"I'm not your minion, dood!" Bitch snapped.

"You are a dark, foul creature, dood!" Wether bleated.

"And how dare you dress yourself so indecently, dood!" Nag screeched. "Your mother would be ashamed of you, dood!"

"Actually, she thinks every girl needs a hobby," Serafall said with a grin. "Plus, you're all here because you fucked with my cousin, Harry-chan. You know how they say karma's a bitch?" Her grin widened, becoming predatory. "Well, the bitch is in heat, and I'm in the mood for Prinny-punting…"

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **This chapter was written before the later ones (so while I'll try to cut out anything that contradicts this one, a few mistakes might slip through, so forgive me). It was partly because Gabriel Herrol wanted to see Rias and Harry have a date, as well as to resolve the whole Tri-Wizard Tournament thing. I also wanted to finish up with Ron. I know, I know, Harry's being lenient towards him. But this story isn't about bashing Ron and making him out to be a villain.**

 **I hope you liked Dumbledore and the Dursleys' fate. Considering what the reaction to Voldemort being turned into a Prinny was, I couldn't resist. Oh, and when you look at the dates of those going to the Yule Ball, only Hermione and Harry's dates are actual pairings.**

 **Anyway, the next chapter will be a timeskip to the events of** ** _Highschool DxD_** **. Hope you enjoy…**

 **Review-answering time! To all of those who loved Voldemort's fate as a Prinny, you're welcome. It just popped into my head while doing it. In fact, I've started playing** ** _Disgaea_** **on Steam as of writing these review answers. I love the twisted humour.**

 **Gabriel Herrol** **: I haven't much time or patience for that. Assume Rias did all that between this chapter and the next. They don't sleep together, though, for a couple of years, until Harry's comfortable with the relationship.**

 **diagonalpumpkin** **: Ask, and, in this case, ye shall receive. Harry will only use the Isaac McDougal-style attack as a last resort. It's merely one attack in his arsenal.**

 **Guest** **(the one who reckoned Serafall put work into the ritual for the face-melting and head exploding/imploding): Actually, she put more effort into ensuring Harry would definitely survive, but given what you said, I agree that she did include the gory bits as a personal touch.**

 **Axcel** **: Luna knew God was dead, and she told Hermione and the others. As for your H-Bomb ideas, they intrigue me, but for the moment, it'll have to go on the back-burner. I've heard of the Bolos, but have never read the stories. That's the one about the AI tanks, right?**

 **1\. Seriously, the English translation of the original lyrics to** ** _Cha-La Head-Cha-La_** **are bloody weird. That song, by the way, is the Japanese theme to** ** _Dragonball Z_** **, until the Cell Saga at least…**

 **2\. Rias is quoting Francis Urquhart from the original British TV adaptation of the novel** ** _House of Cards_** **. Yes, there was one before Netflix and Kevin Spacey. IAN RICHARDSON FOR THE WIN!**


	9. Chapter 8: Sacred Gear, Perverted Boy

**CHAPTER 8:**

 **SACRED GEAR, PERVERTED BOY**

 _Three years later_ …

If you had told Harry Potter (as he still sometimes thought of himself as, and not Harry Sitri) three years ago that he would be happily married to a beautiful redhead, he would have laughed at you. Especially if you added the qualifiers that she was a literal she-devil, or rather, a Devil with a capital D. And yet, here he was, waking up in bed next to the buxom and beautiful Rias Gremory, now Rias Sitri-Gremory.

Okay, so 'marital bliss' hadn't yet reached the milestone of a fortnight yet, nor had they tried for any children (they wanted to finish their schooling before then, despite Lord Gremory's desires). But they had become strong friends in the three years they had known each other prior to that their marriage seemed secure. The fact that their differences helped complement each other worked: Rias with her aristocratic bearing, and Harry with his cheerful irreverence. And they had shared burdens too: Harry had his fame as the Boy Who Lived, while Rias had the expectations of being one of the Gremory family, as well as being the sister of Sirzechs Lucifer. That had been why she lived and learned on Earth rather than the Underworld, to get away from that.

In a way, Harry and Rias were the darlings of Kuoh Academy, a Japanese high school that had recently converted from all-girls to co-ed. Indeed, Rias and Harry gave an exotic flavour to the student body, being clearly European, along with many of their friends.

Of Harry's friends and near-family he brought with him, all but Hermione and the Weasley twins had joined his Peerage. Sirius took to Devildom surprisingly easily, becoming Harry's Knight, while Remus and Neville became Harry's Bishops. Sirius was one of the Sports teachers, while Remus was an English teacher, with Neville becoming a student at the school, along with Harry, Rias, Hermione, Luna, and Rias' Peerage.

By this point, the Weasley twins, thanks to a generous loan from Rias and Harry, set up their own pranking shop, catering to both Muggles and Wizards, though the magical items were kept in a concealed section. The business was doing well, surprisingly.

Hermione and her parents had also settled down in Japan, with Emma teaching her Nephilim daughter the ins and outs of being a Fallen. At one point, there was even a meeting with Azazel, the leader of the Fallen, who turned out to be a cheerful hedonist.

The local territory was thus watched over by the joint efforts of Sona and Harry Sitri, the Gremorys (both Rias and her father), and the Grangers. Indeed, they often went to deal with any Strays in the territory promptly. Sona Sitri and her Peerage were the Student Council of Kuoh Academy, while Rias and Harry, along with their Peerages, Hermione, and the twins (when they were allowed on-campus), were the Occult Research Club. Lord Gremory, of course, was in charge of Kuoh Academy.

Life hadn't been perfect by any means over the last few years. The British Ministry of Magic had tried, once they realised Harry was in Japan, had tried to extract him from Japan, claiming that he had used the Dark Arts to murder Voldemort and his Death Eaters, along with Dumbledore. Technically untrue, as Serafall was the one who actually did all that. And Voldemort was still alive, technically, as Serafall Leviathan's Prinny plushy. As was Dumbledore and the Dursleys.

The Japanese Ministry of Magic had become troublesome on more than one occasion. Eventually, Lord Gremory then told the Japanese Ministry of Magic to back off, and given his influence, they did. After all, one, they couldn't prove Harry had anything to do with Voldemort and the Death Eaters' demise, and two, Voldemort's disappearance and the death of the Death Eaters were not exactly bad things, were they? Even the British Ministry, reluctantly, followed this logic, and decided that Harry Potter was the Japanese's problem.

As Harry got up, Rias began to wake. She smiled at Harry, and a smile was about the only thing she was wearing. Then again, he had gotten used to that: he wore nothing either now in bed. "Good morning, Harry."

"Morning, Rias," he said. "Looking forward to the day?"

"Oh, very much so." She sat up, making certain parts of her anatomy move in rather interestingly arousing ways. For those who enjoyed big breasts and the way they moved when unfettered, Rias would be a dream woman already. Of course, Harry loved her for more than just her breasts or her beauty. No sound marriage would be founded on breasts alone, after all…

* * *

During the lunchbreak later that day, Rias and Akeno played a game of chess, Rias occasionally glancing out the window. Hermione was reading a book, while Koneko was petting Crookshanks, and Luna was sitting next to Koneko petting the _nekomata_ 's head. Harry was also looking outside the window, for the near-daily entertainment of the Pervert Trio.

The Pervert Trio were three male students who were noticeably outspoken in their perversion, and had transferred to Kuoh Academy recently because of the high female student population. They enjoyed voyeurism, trying to find new holes to peek into the locker rooms. Sirius, having been there and done that back when he was a student, tried to take them under his wing, not to actually enable their perversion, but trying to get them to channel it elsewhere. After all, getting porn magazines was less risky (not to mention less dubious) than peeping on a kendo club who would promptly wreak physical revenge. Of course, he had varying results.

Matsuda was a jock (in appearance, anyway: he was actually a competent photographer who sadly misused his talents for his own perverted purposes) with a shaved head and a stubborn demeanour, and was probably the most idiotic of the Pervert Trio. Motohama looked like a nerd, and had joked that his glasses were like a Scouter that discerned the measurements of a girl rather than power levels. Both were not exactly deterred from their modus operandi.

Issei Hyoudou was another matter entirely. A bit of an idiot and a lot of a pervert, he was nonetheless somewhat better-natured than his comrades in the three-headed monster that was the Pervert Trio. Sirius had some small success trying to get him to try different ways of channelling his instincts, so to speak.

Even so, Issei still had a tendency to join his comrades in the Pervert Trio in attempting their voyeurism, only to get caught and beaten soundly for their impudence and disrespect. Their pain tolerance and tenacity, if nothing else, had to be admired.

However, he was also someone they were keeping their eye on.

As Issei fled with his two idiot friends, some kendo fighters pursuing them with _bokken_ , Harry chuckled. "Morons. Hard to believe he's got something like a Sacred Gear, isn't it?"

"There's no mistaking it, though," Hermione said. "And Azazel's put the word out to observe him and _only_ observe him to the others amongst the Fallen. Of course, it also means there may be Fallen gunning for him, particularly Kokabiel and his followers. There's none here at Kuoh save for myself as far as I can tell, but that doesn't mean anything. Mother and I are on the lookout for four rogue Fallen in particular who have been in the area: Raynare, Mittelt, Dohnaseek, and Kalawarner. Rumour has it that they're teaming up with some Stray Exorcists."

"That can't be good," Rias said. "I'll notify Sona, have her Peerage be extra vigilant. We'll have to keep an eye out for anyone who approaches Issei as well." She looked over at Koneko. "Do you feel up to running surveillance on him?"

Koneko nodded. "I will. But do not expect me to tolerate his lewdness." She then closed her eyes, and smiled slightly in pleasure as Luna continued to pet her on the head.

Akeno giggled. "Oh my, Koneko. Luna's your favourite when it comes to petting, isn't she?"

"Hermione is my second favourite," Koneko said.

Hermione and Akeno shared a wry look. After a rocky beginning, the two Nephilim were now firm friends. Akeno had also been taken under Emma's wing, or rather, wings, and had been helped in developing her own powers. Rias didn't object, as anything that helped her Queen become stronger helped her Peerage as a whole get stronger, and Akeno was coming to terms better with her heritage, though she still intended to beat up her father, Baraquiel, should he ever cross her path again.

Hermione was even stronger friends with Kiba, much to the annoyance of the female students of Kuoh, who held up Kiba to be their idol and potential boyfriend. The fact that he was compassionate and intelligent as well as very handsome helped draw Hermione to him, even before the Yule Ball.

Of course, she was also good friends with the stoic and intelligent Sona, with the two often meeting to discuss things. The Nephilim and the Devil were united by their intellect, and their exasperation at people acting before thinking.

"There's another problem that may need taken care of. There's a rumour that a servant of the Asmoday family, Viser, may have become a Stray. If we get a confirmation, the Asmoday family may send us to track down Viser and either send her back home, or kill her. Knowing most Strays, the latter's more likely," Rias said, making a move on the chessboard. "Once they get a taste for freedom, not to mention human flesh…"

"Don't worry, I'll come with you. I want to try my Spear Blizzard, anyway," Hermione said. Oddly enough, Hermione was a prodigy at spamming ridiculous amounts of Light-Spears, the favoured weapon of Angels, Fallen or not, and she experimented with new ways of manipulating large numbers of them. She, along with Akeno, was the heavy artillery of the group.

"Oh my, Hermione," Akeno said with a giggle. "That would be overkill, would it not?"

"Subtlety's a thing for rhetoric and philosophy, not all-out combat," Hermione said with a shrug. "If you're going to kill something, you might as well be thorough(1). Besides, you loved it when I used that Spear Cyclone on that last Stray."

"Like you put that Stray into a blender," Akeno reminisced, smiling. "Messy, but extremely satisfying. But you kill them too quickly."

"Akeno, just because you're a sadist doesn't mean I am," Hermione sighed with exasperated good humour. She was used to Akeno's tendencies, as long as Akeno directed them towards enemies.

* * *

That evening, Koneko reported back that a girl from another school, calling herself Yuuma Amano, had approached Issei and asked to become her girlfriend. Koneko could tell Yuuma wasn't human, but that was about it. Harry wasn't happy about the plan that they were going to use, namely give Issei one of the summoning sigils so that he might call on them when he was dying. Harry intended to use the Cloak of Invisibility, which he learned was a Deathly Hallow. Harry didn't know what the Hallows were, prompting an interesting history lesson from Serafall. Interesting in a weird way. In any case, Harry offered the use of the Cloak to keep an eye on Issei, and perhaps save his life, but Rias was considering making him part of her Peerage.

Harry pointed out that, as many a Devil used their Peerage as an excuse to make harems, all she had to do was approach Issei and broach the idea. Harry didn't like the concept of a harem (partly because he believed it disrespectful, and partly because he had been swarmed by fangirls throughout his time at Hogwarts), but he knew that would be an effective lure to Issei. After all, once Issei had proven himself enough, he could start getting a Peerage, and thus a harem, of his own. Hermione had rolled her eyes in disgust at that. Not at Harry, but at Issei. Rias, however, reasonably pointed out that Azazel had told the Fallen to observe Issei, and she didn't want to annoy the leader of the Fallen and one of their allies amongst them by jumping the gun. Rias wasn't a Fallen Angel, but Azazel had power and influence even outside of the Fallen.

As well as intending to make Issei part of her Peerage, Rias was using him as bait to try and lure out any rogue Fallen in the area. Neither Harry nor Hermione liked that manipulative crap: they would prefer to find a way of taking Issei in and protecting him without basically forcing him to become a Devil. At least Harry and Rias' respective Peerages chose to become Devils. Even Luna chose to, while she was dying. But Sona had delivered a message from Serafall: unless Issei was in actual danger of dying or actually dying, only observe. Rias admitted she hated having to allow this, but she didn't want to piss off the Leviathan, or her brother Sirzechs.

There was more news from Emma Granger too: there was another Sacred Gear user heading into their territory. Diodora Astaroth was one of the more vile Devils who got a kick out of seducing nuns and raping them, forcing them to become part of his Peerage. He had apparently tricked a young, secluded nun from Europe into healing him, leading to her excommunication (though thankfully, Diodora was apparently waiting before he moved in on the girl, presumably when she was dying, in order to make her part of his Peerage). Said nun, Asia Argento, apparently had a Sacred Gear that could heal anyone, human, Devil or Angel. Azazel, trusting Emma to look after and protect Asia, had sent a discreet message to Asia through her remaining contacts at the Church. The Grangers would soon be guarding Asia, with the Occult Research Club as her unofficial guardians.

* * *

The next day, Harry found himself tailing Issei and Yuuma. He had to admit, for all Issei's perversity, he actually acted somewhat more gentlemanly during a date the two were having after school. Maybe Sirius' lessons had rubbed off. In fact, Sirius had apparently been asked by Issei to tutor him on how to act during a date. Sirius' advice must have been good.

Just before the date, Issei had managed to get a hold of one of the Occult Club flyers, which was actually a summoning sigil. If he was dying and wanted to live, it would summon Rias. Harry hoped that would be a last resort.

After the main part of the date was over, Issei was led by Yuuma to a secluded park, whose main feature was a large fountain. They discussed things, until Yuuma asked Issei a question that set off alarm bells in Harry's mind.

"Issei…would you die for me?"

Suddenly, Yuuma transformed. She changed from a pretty high school girl into a woman apparently in her twenties. Issei seemed to be focusing on the fact that, during her transformation, she was exposed. Idiot. Harry had to admit, she was beautiful, but in a cruel way, an impression further enhanced when a costume formed around her body, something that seemed out of a Boris Vallejo picture mixed in with some BDSM. A pair of wings sprouted from her back. Pitch black and raven-like.

A Fallen Angel.

Harry had one of the communications mirrors Sirius had enchanted. This one was currently connected to Hermione, who was following Harry and Issei at a greater distance. "Yuuma is a Fallen. She wants to kill Issei. Hurry!" He then whipped off the Cloak, and glared at the Fallen. "If I recall correctly, Azazel told you to observe Sacred Gear holders only."

"That's none of your business! Who are you?!" the Fallen demanded. Then, she peered at him, and her eyes widened. "Harry Sitri? The one who married the heir to the Gremory family?"

"The very same. May I ask your name? Your _real_ name?"

"Raynare," she sneered, forming a Light-Spear, though the way she hefted it suggested she was going to use it on Issei.

"ACCIO, _ISSEI!_ " Harry snarled, with Issei sliding along the ground towards him at high speed with a squawk. The Light-Spear stuck, quivering, in the ground where Issei was mere moments before. "So you're one of the Fallen who Apollonia and her daughter have been keeping an eye out for?"

"So it's true? Apollonia has moved to Japan?!" Raynare demanded, fear and anger in her eyes.

"Of course," came the familiar and welcome voice of Hermione, her wings spreading from her back. Light-Spears began appearing in the air all around her, pointed at Raynare. "I bring a message from Azazel and Apollonia. Back. _Off_."

Raynare sneered, despite her obvious fear. "I don't listen to traitors who ally themselves with Devils! Particularly filthy half-breed trash or tired old pervs!"

Harry sighed. "It's like Hogwarts all over again, calling you Mudblood, isn't it?" he asked Hermione.

"Yeah. And that sort of thing really annoys me," Hermione said, more Light-Spears flashing into existence.

"You look stressed," Harry said to Raynare. "How about a sauna?"

Suddenly, there was a blast of steam from the fountain, soon enveloping the area in a thick, cloying mist. Harry could see Hermione and Issei, but not Raynare, who, to her credit, was not panicking, or at least not making any noise to that effect. He grabbed Issei, clamping a hand over the pervert's mouth, and took to the air as silently as he could, hoping to get Issei out of the battle zone. Then, Hermione let loose with her Light-Spears.

A squawk of pain suggested that Raynare had gotten hit by one of them at least, though with a few beats of her wings, the steam cleared to reveal her, in mid-air, a Light-Spear sticking out of her calf. Light-Spears weren't as harmful or debilitating to the Fallen as they were to Devils, but they'd hurt and injure regardless. "Bitch, you're gonna pay for that!" she snarled at Hermione.

"Harry, how the hell are you flying?!" Issei yelped as Harry uncovered his mouth.

"Not now, Issei!" Harry snarled, before he used his now-free hand to point a finger at Raynare. _Cutter Jet!_ he yelled mentally as a high-pressure jet of water lanced at Raynare. She dodged, but the jet gashed her thigh.

"Son of a bitch!" Raynare screamed, before throwing a Light-Spear at blinding speed at Harry. He tried to dodge, but the damned thing hit his arm, namely the one holding Issei, and the burning pain forced Harry to drop him. The perverted boy managed to land well enough to avoid anything more than bruises and a sprained ankle, but Raynare followed it up with another Light-Spear, which impaled the boy.

"My work here is done," Raynare sneered. "Though I suggest letting the pervert die. Otherwise, we won't rest until all of you are dead!" She then shot into the sky, disappearing into a rippling portal. "Especially you, traitorous half-breed!" she snarled at Hermione as a parting-shot.

Harry and Hermione hastened over to Issei, Hermione plucking the Light-Spear from Harry's arm. She didn't dare do so to Issei, as it would hasten his death by blood loss. But he was dying anyway. Harry then saw the flyer being activated, presumably by Issei's thoughts of not wanting to die. Rias appeared swiftly in the magic circle. "We chased the Fallen off," Hermione explained, "but she managed to fatally wound him."

Rias nodded, before she plucked her Evil Pieces case out. "At least you tried. Hermione, please remove the Light-Spear. Did you get her identity?"

"Raynare, one of the Fallen Azazel told us to keep an eye out for," Harry said. He watched as Rias plucked out a Pawn, and then pressed it to Issei's chest. Nothing seemed to happen. But it was in a way that both Rias and Harry knew what had happened.

Rias plucked out more Pawns, and eventually managed to get them into Issei's body. All eight of her Pawns had to be used, which meant that Issei was stronger than anyone thought. Harry had to wonder what that would mean…

 **CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And here you have it, the events of** ** _Highschool DxD_** **starting at last. And yes, Harry and Rias have had sex. But I'm shit at writing lemons, so sorry, you're not going to be getting anything like that, save for at one remove. They're seventeen, in love, and have just been wedded.**

 **What about Riser Phenex? We'll discuss him later, but for now, I have no plans to have the Rating Game between his Peerage and Rias' (or anyone else, for that matter). He's pissed that he doesn't get to make Rias his wife and lover, but he's also been told to keep away by Serafall and Sirzechs, and when you've got two of the four leaders of the Underworld telling you to back off, even someone like Riser listens. Of course, he and his family have gotten a little gift to sweeten the deal, as Serafall mentioned earlier. Details later…**

 **Most of the following chapters will deal with both Issei acclimatising to Devildom, as well as Asia arriving in Japan and the characters working to protect her from the Fallen and Freed. Unlike canon, I actually intend for Asia to survive with her humanity intact, and she will become a little sister figure to Hermione, Harry, and Rias.**

 **1\. Hermione is paraphrasing a line Vulcan Raven used in the very good (if very uncanon and crudely-drawn)** ** _Metal Gear Solid_** **webcomic** ** _The Last Days of FoxHOUND_** **.**


	10. Chapter 9: Orientation

**CHAPTER 9:**

 **ORIENTATION**

After Issei had been healed and left in his home, the Occult Research Club and affiliates debated what to do. Although Rias had been considering having Issei out for bait to lure more Fallen, she was persuaded by Harry and Hermione's arguments that they knew that Raynare and her comrades were involved. Not only that, but as Raynare had identified Harry Sitri, the Fallen would probably be more careful about stepping on the toes of the Sitri and Gremory families. Having two prominent Devil families after them might be more than they could handle, so with any luck, they would try to be more discreet.

It also meant Asia would need greater protection. The Fallen might decide to kill her, or worse, extract her Sacred Gear, which would have the same result, only the Fallen would have a Sacred Gear on their side.

The next morning, Harry and Rias came across Issei, who was trying to get Matsuda and Motohama to remember Yuuma, or rather, Raynare. When Issei spotted Harry, he said, "You! You were there, Harry! Along with that Hermione babe! C'mon, help me out here!"

Instead of being helpful (not that it would have done any good, as Motohama and Matsuda had had their memories erased, presumably Raynare covering her tracks), Harry began singing, in a lilting voice, and in English, " _Last night I saw upon the stair a pretty girl who wasn't there. She wasn't there again today. Oh how I wish she'd go away…(_ _1)_ "

Issei blinked, as did the other two. Motohama, who apparently knew more English than his comrades, muttered, "Did you just quote _Antigonish_ , or David Bowie(2)?"

Harry couldn't resist. " _Oh no, not me, I never lost control. You're face to face with the man who sold the world_ ," he sang impishly in English. Rias chuckled alongside him.

"Great," Matsuda grumbled sullenly. "The hottest babe in the school, married to this British dork."

As they walked away, Harry cast a silent hair-growing charm on the pervert with the shaved head. It would last only an hour, but the hair on his head would be growing fast enough to need a lawn-mower in the meantime.

However, Issei wouldn't be deterred, and chased Rias and Harry. Thankfully, they had managed to get out of earshot of the student body, because Harry then looked at Issei, freezing the pervert in his tracks. "The Occult Research Club, lunchtime. And come alone."

* * *

Harry, having an impish sense of humour, waited under the Invisibility Cloak as Issei approached the building containing the Occult Research Club. He was at the door, peering through a peephole, and as the pervert made to knock, Harry opened the door slowly and ominously. Oh good, there was a creak! Issei looked like he was trying to make sure he didn't have an accident involving his bowels or bladder. As Issei stepped hesitantly inside, Harry slammed the door shut.

Thanks to a charm from Luna, shortly afterwards, an organ rendition of _Toccata and Fugue in D Minor_ began playing. Clichéd, but what can you do? It was too fun to resist. Sirius and Remus were loving how Harry still had a prankster's streak from his father.

As Issei shivered, Harry hissed, " _Welcome…to your doom_ …"

Issei shrieked, rather like a little girl, and Harry, deciding that Issei had been scared enough, whipped off his Cloak. "Your face!" Harry laughed. Cameras began clicking, set up in various corners of the atrium of the Club's building.

Issei blinked, unable to process what happened. "I…uh, wha…?"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist." Trying to be as nice as he could to Issei, he said, "Yuuma, as you know her, never existed. She was someone who wanted to kill you because you were a potential threat, and erased herself from the memories of those who saw her, including your pervert comrades."

Issei looked at him, before saying, "So…it was true? She tried to kill me, and you and Hermione tried to save me, pulling off those weird moves? And you were flying and all!" He gave a brief bow. "Thanks for helping me out! Though…I do remember getting speared…"

"Yeah, well, you did. Look, long story short, Rias revived you. I'll let her explain the details. But before we do so, a few ground rules. The first is, try and keep your perverted thoughts to yourself, especially where Rias is concerned, given that we're married. You're entitled to your opinion, but that doesn't mean we're all entitled to them(3), and if you're not careful, I'll set Hermione and Koneko on you. They're not fans of perverts. Secondly, Rias and I are in charge, though she's more in charge of you than I am. Thirdly, you have to keep quiet about what happens here. For your sake as much as that of others, frankly. Otherwise, you and your parents may be in danger. Understand?"

Issei gulped, somewhat theatrically, and nodded as he was led through into the clubroom proper. Idiotic though he was, you could get him to understand things when you did things right.

* * *

Once introductions were made, it was Rias who took the lead in explaining to Issei what had happened to him. Issei was understandably surprised to find that everyone present, barring Hermione, were Devils, and that he had been revived as one. It took some time to further explain his situation, and it was decided to leave some of the more complicated explanations for after school.

After school had ended, and he had come back to hear about the different factions, he frowned. "You said that Devils don't get along with Angels, Fallen or not, but you said Hermione there is half-Fallen."

"I am. Many Fallen are more concerned with getting back into the good graces of Heaven or getting on with their lives rather than killing any Devils they see," Hermione said. "My mother is one of the moderates. It's usually better to assume that a Fallen you don't know is dangerous, and for someone like you, it's better to run like hell. Most Fallen wouldn't think once about killing a low-class Devil, especially if they think they're a Stray."

"But…why did Yuuma…I mean, Raynare, try to kill me? I heard you mention something about a Sacred Gear."

"Yes," Rias said, nodding. "We suspected, and Hermione confirmed as she can sense these things, that you're a holder of a Sacred Gear. These are blessed items granted by God to members of the human race or to Nephilim to perform miracles. Many are actually weapons, while others allow for other effects, like healing. They intended to kill you to take your Sacred Gear out of the equation. They either do that, or extract the Sacred Gear in a lethal process. They presumably thought of your Sacred Gear as not useful enough to them, but enough of a threat to get rid of you. Devils normally don't gain access to them, unless they are humans who have been reincarnated through Evil Pieces."

As Issei began to get a lewd look on his face, Harry said, "Slow down there, don't get too excited. It has nothing to do with what you've got downstairs. It just means you have a magical weapon or armour innate to you, or something else."

"Aren't you British? I mean, you act British, like some pent-up stuffed shirt," Issei asked, perhaps rather stupidly. "Aren't you proud of the big-boobed beauty you've managed to snag?"

"Of course I'm proud. I just don't go shouting how much I'm attracted to her, and in such lewd terms," Harry retorted. "Anyway, it's not like you're the norm in Japan. A lot of Japanese act the same way as you think the British do. It's called common decency, though looking at you, I have to wonder how common it is…"

"Sadly, not very," Hermione remarked, raising an eyebrow.

Remus, who saw Sirius open his mouth to voice some objection or opinion or other, nudged him viciously in the ribs with an elbow. "Not a word, Padfoot," he murmured.

"Spoilsport," Sirius growled. "He reminds me of myself when I was his age."

"Padfoot, as perverted as you were, you're nowhere near his level. At least you kept it quiet most of the time," Remus muttered.

"I'm actually curious about something," Issei said, looking at Remus and Sirius. "You guys are way older than Harry, but you're his servants in his Peerage."

"I try not to think of my Peerage as servants," Harry said. "Remus and Sirius were friends of my father, and they knew he was a Devil. Sirius is also my godfather. Luna and Neville were my only friends at school. Well, aside from Hermione. They all joined my Peerage willingly. Hermione didn't want to join my Peerage, and I respect that, especially as we're still friends and comrades. And Rias does treat her Peerage like family. We treat each other's Peerage as family and friends. Of course, other Devils treat their Peerages differently."

"I'm his godfather, Issei, and frankly, this is much better than what I've had to deal with for over a decade. Azkaban is far worse than the Underworld, believe me," Sirius said.

"Azkaban?"

Rias said, "Harry here, along with his Peerage and Hermione, come from England, as you know. Specifically, they were wizards and witches, although Harry and Hermione had heritages outside that. The magical world is hidden from people like you, similarly to how Angels and Devils hide their existence. Wizards and witches, generally, have innate magic inherited. Azkaban was the main prison of Magical Britain, and was staffed by creatures known as Dementors." Rias fixed Issei with a serious stare. "Imagine creatures that would suck the very happiness from you, bringing up your worst memories. Not only that, but they are capable of sucking out the souls of their victims through the Dementor's Kiss."

"…So, as that sounds like a bad thing, I'm guessing they don't look hot at all?"

"Like flying rotting corpses in robes," Remus said. "About a year after Harry left Magical Britain, someone in the Ministry of Magic sent a pair of Dementors after Harry, believing him to be a threat. Even Devils can be killed by them. But Devil magic is more effective against them than the usual countermeasure."

Harry nodded, remembering using his Steam Guillotine for the first time in battle, cutting a Dementor in half. "As it turned out, some bitch by the name of Umbridge had sent them, to curry favour with the British Minister of Magic. I sicced my cousin onto her."

* * *

"NO! PLEASE STOP! I DON'T WANT TO PLAY YOUR STUPID MAGICAL GIRL GAMES ANYMORE!"

Serafall Leviathan pouted at Dolores Umbridge, tied to an elaborate throne in Serafall's magical girl stageshow set in the Underworld. "Well, _tough_. I'm not done with you, Dolores-chan. You're my new favourite for playing the dried-up old bitch villain in my magical girl roleplaying! You're almost as fun as my Prinny army! Like Bitch here!"

"I'm Lord Voldemort, dood, not Bitch the Prinny! I am the immortal pretty princess of the Land of Chimichangas and Coprolites, dood!"

Dolores Umbridge began sobbing, even as her tormentor sprinted over to the strange penguin-like creature with perpetual concussion and dropkicked it across the theatre, to the applause of the few Devils who were brave enough to watch the show. Pitchforks, burning flames, boiling oil and lava, she could deal with. But being made to fulfil this childish Devil's fantasies as the villain of some strange magical girl pantomime for all eternity while said Devil dropkicked penguin things around the place, one of whom claimed to be Dumbledore? This was truly Hell…

* * *

"I don't know about you, but I'm feeling a lot of righteous schadenfreude right now," Remus said. "Does Serafall have the latest tapes? A Prinny-punting and Umbridge screaming for mercy cheers me up no end."

"I'll call her later," Harry said. "The Phenex family enjoy the ones with Dumbledore. They were grateful when Serafall sent them Fawkes, once we got him free from the bindings the old goat put on him."

"I've never seen Riser look so righteously angry before," Rias tittered. "Such vile bindings on one of the oldest phoenixes to ever exist…I think that gift actually worked to get his mind off claiming me, though."

Harry nodded. Riser was admittedly the only one of the Phenex family truly unhappy about Rias being engaged to Harry, as he had been set on wedding her, but Serafall and Sirzechs had put him in his place, and he actually accepted Fawkes as a gift with better grace than Rias thought him capable of.

Fawkes was currently tended by Riser and his sister, Ravel, as both a pet and mascot of their Peerage, and by all accounts, Riser was beginning to act a little better towards his Peerage, mostly due to the influence of Fawkes. Not that much better, frankly, as he was still an arrogant lech and made no secret of his annoyance towards Harry and his lust towards Rias. But Fawkes, along with Sirzechs and Serafall's intervention, had ensured that Riser wasn't intending to challenge Harry or Rias any time soon for Rias' hand. And Harry had gotten a letter of thanks from Riser's Queen, Yubelluna, as Riser was actually beginning to treat her noticeably (if only slightly) better.

* * *

After the expositional onslaught with Issei, and managing to get him to activate his Sacred Gear, Harry and Hermione got a call from Emma. Harry decided to accompany Hermione home. At the very least, he wanted to confirm this.

The Grangers were entertaining a cute blonde-haired girl, dressed in the habit of a nun. Although in her mid-teens, there was something of her demeanour that was almost younger, perhaps due to a certain naiveté, not to mention her petite figure. And there was a sense of self-abnegation and tenacity and suffering that made Harry want to give her a hug. When she turned in her seat, having been drinking a cup of tea, she smiled. "So, this is your daughter and her Devil friend, Lady Apollonia?"

Emma Granger nodded. "Yes, Asia. Hermione, Harry, allow me to introduce Asia Argento, bearer of the Sacred Gear Twilight Healing. As of today, she is living in our household."

Hermione and Harry both shook the girl's hand, and Harry was pleased to note there was no actual fear or hatred in the girl's eyes, just curiosity and perhaps slight caution. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Argento. I hope that my friends and I can help keep you safe." And he gave a warm smile that was hesitantly mirrored on Asia's face. He hoped that he truly could keep her safe. What little he saw so far showed her to be a selfless, self-effacing and self-sacrificing sort. And he didn't want her to fall prey to people like Raynare or Diodora Astaroth…

 **CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And there you have it. Issei's received a briefing on what he's become, Umbridge is getting her just desserts, and Asia's now in the Granger house.**

 **Asia will, as stated before, become a little sister figure to Harry, Hermione, and Rias. I also want her to be able to survive without being turned into a Devil. I'm putting it out there. And yes, I intend to have her heal the Longbottoms.**

 **1\. Harry, as Motohama points out, is quoting a modified version of the last part of** ** _Antigonish_** **, a rather bizarre poem by Hughes Mearns.**

 **2\. In case the lyrics Harry quotes doesn't ring a bell, Motohama is referring to David Bowie's song** ** _The Man Who Sold the World_** **, which seemed to be partly inspired by** ** _Antigonish_** **.**

 **3\. Harry is using another modified quote, this time of a line Kerr Avon says to Vila in** ** _Blake's 7: Bounty_** **.**


	11. Chapter 10: Of Sacred Gears and Stray

**CHAPTER 10:**

 **OF SACRED GEARS AND STRAY DEVILS**

Harry found himself liking Asia more and more the more time he spent with her. Okay, she was a bit of a naïve little twit, especially about the evils of the world, but that wasn't wholly her fault. It was more to do with her seclusion from the world by the Church. But she was a genuinely likeable and moral person, an embodiment of the best ideals of the Church. The sort who would willingly heal a Devil, both because it was the right thing to do, and because the Church was supposed to reach out to those who needed it the most.

And to tell the truth, he felt a lot of sympathy for her. Like his childhood, she had been kept in seclusion. And people's expectations of her were always so high. In fact, even the Church and Asia had heard of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. And all it took was an honest mistake, or the malice of someone else, to have everyone treating her like shit, frankly.

"Not all Devils are like Diodora Astaroth," Emma said. "Many of them are really more like humans of a somewhat more hedonistic and self-indulgent bent, but follow a moral code that isn't unlike our own. As it was, you were lucky Azazel sent you to us."

Asia shivered, having been told of what Diodora Astaroth liked to do to nuns. And about the Fallen who might be targeting her. "Even so, it must be a rare Devil who is willing to help someone from the Church," she said. "If what you told me about these three factions is true, then they would consider me an enemy, or at least someone who might bring the wrath of the Church or the Angels on them, Fallen or not."

"I help people because they need help," Harry said. "As long as they're not actually trying to kill me or use me, I don't really care that much. Rias is the same. She may be the sister of the current Lucifer, but she's a good person. Even Sirzechs is nice enough."

"The problem is, the Fallen won't just give up because we've placed Asia under our protection," Emma said. "Sacred Gears are fairly valuable, especially if they're a Longinus. Twilight Healing isn't a Longinus, but healing ability is quite valuable. I'll ask Lupin to put up some wards: a combination of Fallen and Devil barriers and wizarding wards might help deter them for long enough. And as Kuoh Academy has three of the top Devils there, along with their Peerages and my daughter, we'll enrol you there, Asia, as long as you have an escort going there and back. At the very least, you should have an education outside of what the Church gave you. Once we've dealt with the rogue Fallen, hopefully, we can dial back the protection."

Asia nodded, although she seemed a little apprehensive. Harry smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't worry, Asia. Hermione says that I have a sort of 'saving people thing'. You let us worry about protecting you."

"But…I don't want to see anyone get hurt because of me…" Asia murmured.

"We're willing to protect you, Asia," Hermione said firmly. "Besides, these Fallen are the sort who'd want to use the Sacred Gears to start a war, with humanity in the crossfire. And we don't want that."

* * *

The next day, at lunchtime, Asia was taken (by Hermione, of course) to meet the respective Peerages of Harry and Rias. And for someone formerly affiliated with the Church, she showed little fear and no hatred towards the Devils. Indeed, she got on very well with them. It helped that Asia, despite or because of her naiveté, was a very likeable person. Harry knew that Neville was going to ask for her help to see whether she could heal the damage done to his parents by Bellatrix Lestrange.

Last night, Harry had learned something interesting from Rias: Issei didn't just have any old Sacred Gear. He had one Rias was almost certain was a Longinus. And to have a Longinus user in a Peerage boosted the prestige of the Devil who had that Peerage.

Of course, that night Issei had also had to go and deal with a man who wanted to make a pact. In fact, it was that creepy idiot who wanted to become a magical girl. Harry didn't envy Issei.

As it turned out, they had work to do tonight: the rumours about Viser, one of the Asmoday servants, becoming a Stray were true. The Asmoday had wanted Rias and Harry to clean up. And as Viser had been confirmed to be eating humans, well, Harry really wanted to destroy Viser.

After school, Hermione called her mother, and had her take Asia home. Then, the two Peerages and the Nephilim went to deal with Viser.

"So, I guess tonight is a tutorial for your new Peerage member, Rias?" Harry asked.

"Yes. It's often better to show than to tell, after all."

"Well, might as well tell him the basics first." Harry looked over at Issei. "You're familiar with chess, right? As opposed to _go_ or _shogi?_ "

"Well, yeah."

"Good. Then you don't need that part explained. The Evil Piece system is based on chess and the attributes of the pieces in that game, and it was those chess pieces that were used to revive you. Now Rias and I are the Kings. Now, you might think that makes us weak, given kings can't move much in the game, but that's far from the case. We're the keystone to the system, true, but both of us have extraordinary power. Now, I have two Bishops, Remus and Neville. Bishops can use magic of all kinds, offensive, healing, defensive. Rias and I have one Knight each: Rias has Kiba, and I have Sirius. They emphasise speed and mobility and attack power. Koneko is Rias' sole Rook, and uses strength and defence. She may look petite and fragile, but she's anything but. Queens combine the attributes of those previous pieces. Luna is my Queen, and Akeno is Rias'."

"So, what piece am I?" Issei asked.

"A Pawn. Now, before you get depressed, remember that in chess, pawns have the ability to change their rank when they get to the end of the board, deep in enemy territory. In Evil Piece terms, it means that, if you're in declared enemy territory, or Rias gives you permission, you can change ranks. And considering that Rias had to use all eight of her Pawns on you, you've got some power in you. That being said, try to stay out of the way."

* * *

When they found Viser in a deserted warehouse, Issei predictably began ogling the rather beautiful looking woman with the bare breasts, though she was half in shadow. Sirius nudged the perverted boy in the ribs viciously. "She's a Stray Devil, remember? And they usually aren't pretty after a while. Don't let your guard down."

"Viser, this is your last warning. Go back to the Asmoday family, or die," Rias commanded.

Viser sneered at them, walking forward, revealing her human form to be growing from a rather uglier monster, a hideous chimera. "I think not. I don't listen to the likes of you, especially traitors working with the Fallen."

"Confident, isn't she?" Harry remarked. "Do you want to go for a combo for the finale?"

Rias grinned. "Took the words out of my mouth."

The battle that followed wasn't too difficult. Poor Koneko nearly got swallowed by the rather grotesque mouth on the underside of the monstrous part of Viser's body. And when she emerged, some of her clothes had been dissolved. Hermione held back with her Light-Spears on Rias' request, save for hitting Viser to deter attacks. Thanks to the joint efforts of the two Peerages and Hermione, Viser was defeated swiftly, and it only remained to Harry and Rias to administer the _coup de grace_.

"Any last words, Viser?" Rias asked.

"Go to Hell…" Viser rasped.

"Meh," Harry said, before he and Rias stood together, placing their hands palm outwards. Suddenly, Viser's body seemed to be sucked into a bizarre tunnel of streaking blue lights, like some sort of hyperspatial vortex.

"Hey, Issei, you ever play _Final Fantasy IV?_ " Harry asked. Issei nodded. "Then you'll appreciate this."

Then, together, Rias and Harry yelled, " _Sitri-Gremory Combo Attack: Zeromus: BIG BANG!_ "

Bolts of lightning-like energy flared throughout the vortex Viser had been sucked into, and with a scream of pain, the Stray Devil was consumed in an explosion of strobing colourful light. The ashes that remained were spat out before the vortex closed up. And then, Harry and Rias hummed the victory fanfare from the _Final Fantasy_ games. She was quite a strong Japanophile and a bit of a gamer, and had loved the idea of making moves that mimicked the attacks from the games as well.

"That…was _awesome_ ," Issei breathed quietly.

That was admittedly one of the few times Issei could be said to say something universally agreed-upon.

* * *

As they made their way back to the clubhouse before they finished up for the night (the damaged clothing, especially that of poor Koneko, being repaired by magic), Issei asked, "What was with that attack, anyway? That last one you guys did? I mean, not that I'm complaining about it, but I reckon you should have opened up with it."

"We need to keep our Peerages trained," Rias explained. "Plus, we were demonstrating the power of a Peerage to you."

"So why a combo attack?"

"It's partly because of me," Harry said. "You probably haven't heard of me, but my name back home was Harry Potter."

Issei frowned. "Wait, what? I know that name." When he saw their looks, he hurriedly said, "I overheard my mother talking on the phone once. Well, ranting. Apparently some uppity idiots in the government wanted her to keep an eye out for someone of that name. I heard her say that she was discarded because she was a Squib or something, and they weren't going to get any favours from her. I thought Squib was some slang word, like she was part- _burakumin_ or something."

Rias and Harry shared looks, before Rias said, "A Squib is a person born to a magical family, but who doesn't have magic. They're often shunned in magical communities. Sounds like the Japanese Ministry wanted to use her as a spy."

"This was before I transferred to Kuoh Academy," Issei said.

Harry nodded. "Okay, well, long story short, I became famous when I was one because I survived an instant-death spell, one that can even kill Devils if the user is powerful enough. My father was a high-ranking Devil of the Sitri family, while my mother was a human he revived as his Queen. They knew that a dark wizard called Voldemort was after them, so in order to give me protection, they used an obscure ritual. If they died, their very life-force would be tied to mine, through a bond of love. My mother gave me extremely powerful defences, while my father gave me offensive power that approached that of one of the Great Satans. But almost all of that was tied up when Dumbledore, who wanted a Devil as a weapon, and managed to deter anyone else who could have raised me, bound my power, and left me with my aunt and her family."

Issei looked at Harry's dark expression, and muttered, "They weren't nice people, were they?"

"They treated me like a slave. I slept in a cupboard under the stairs. No joke."

Issei shook his head. "That's fucked up. I mean, you ARE telling the truth, right?"

"I can always have you talk to my cousin," Harry said. "She's got the Dursleys with her, along with Dumbledore and Voldemort. Anyway, I still had enough power to basically burn Voldemort and whoever he possessed with a touch: I guess Dumbledore left that part of the Defensio Ultima intact. Now, when my cousin decided to arrange a marriage between Rias and I, I decided I wanted to make sure that she was my equal in power. Rias is an extremely powerful Devil, but I was in another league. But the only way we could do so was by transferring some of the power of the Defensio Ultima from me to her. And the best ritual to do that was more than a little…intimate in nature, so we left it until after we married."

Issei's eyes, predictably, bugged out of their sockets. "You mean…you made her more powerful…through sex?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Put crudely, yes, though it also requires, given the love and self-sacrifice inherent in Defensio Ultima, one to actually have a loving relationship first, not to mention a complex ritual with…he's not listening to me at all, is he?"

"No," Hermione said. Issei seemed torn between fantasising about Rias having sex, and annoyed that Harry got to do so.

"Koneko," Harry said. "Please give him percussive maintenance. Lightly."

"How lightly?" Koneko asked.

"Just enough to get his mind back on track."

Koneko slapped Issei, sending the perverted teen spinning around like a top. He shook his head and demanded, "What gives?!"

"You were having a Blue Screen of Perversion," Harry snarked. "Anyway, regardless of how we got the power shared, Issei, and I would like you to focus on this explanation, please, thanks to Rias and I having gone through this ritual, we have a bond. You ever read that manga series _Soul Eater(_ _1)_?"

On seeing Issei's nod, Rias picked up where Harry left off. "Think of it as being like Soul Resonance. Our power gets fed on each other like in a positive feedback loop. Together, given enough run-up, we can power up to levels surpassing the Great Satans, albeit temporarily. In fact, that's why we put Viser into that pocket dimension, besides it looking cool and resembling Zeromus' battlefield from the game: the sheer destructive force unleashed is dangerous. As in potentially world-ending dangerous. Of course, we didn't charge up that attack that much, we didn't need to for a Stray like Viser."

"We try to bring them down hard and fast normally," Harry said. "And keep in mind that you'll see other Stray Devils who'll try to entice you. Try to keep your mind off their breasts and on the matter at hand, okay? That sort of distraction could prove lethal."

"Killjoy," Issei muttered sullenly. "Just because you're married to the busty babe…"

"He does have a point, Issei. Devils are very hardy, but we're far from invincible, as you saw," Rias said. "If Hermione went all-out with her Light-Spears, she could have annihilated Viser. And to tell the truth, Hermione is a credible threat even to me, as she's not only a powerful Nephilim, but Devils like you and I are vulnerable to Light weaponry and spells, and the Fallen favour creating Light-Spears."

"Like that Yuuma girl did to me," Issei murmured quietly, touching his chest where Raynare speared him. "And there was another Fallen last night, one who tried to attack." He grinned. "I managed to chase her off using my Sacred Gear, blasting her clothes off."

"Of course you did," Harry muttered.

"Well, leaving aside the lewdness of such an act, it's actually an effective battle tactic," Remus said. "Who wants to fight naked?"

"I do," Luna said with a smile.

"Luna, please don't encourage Issei," Harry sighed, facepalming. "That being said, Remus does have a point. It's a valid battle tactic…providing you don't get distracted by naked flesh afterwards."

Once more, Issei got lost in his labyrinthine and lewd imagination, and it was Hermione this time who snapped him out of it. "You guys suck!" he whined, nursing the latest bruise to his cheek.

"Issei, you're never going to get a girl this way," Hermione pointed out.

"Get strong enough, though, and you can ascend to the rank of a high-class Devil, with your own Peerage," Rias said.

Issei stopped short when he heard that. He then asked, "Can I get my own harem that way?"

"If you like," Rias said, smirking when Issei began cheering. Harry and Hermione, meanwhile, facepalmed. She was encouraging the damn pervert. Then again, if it helped motivate himself to become stronger…

* * *

Afterwards, in a dilapidated church, a quartet of people were waiting. Two would have been very familiar to Issei: Raynare, and a female Fallen wearing a minidress by the name of Kalawarner. A third female Fallen was dressed in a Gothic Lolita style, and had a petulant, childish demeanour to match her body. Her name was Mittelt. The sole man amongst them was human and handsome, though given his vicious crimes, Freed Sallzen had a soul as black as the worst of Devils or Fallen. An Exorcist who had once worked for the Church, he had been excommunicated for murdering anyone who even associated with Devils, regardless of their character or even if they had made any deals. In a way, he was worse than these Fallen, for he killed out of enjoyment, blanketed in false righteousness. He didn't care about causes anymore, or doing good works. Only killing Devils and their associates.

The door opened, and a man in a trenchcoat and fedora, with a pencil-thin moustache, walked in, his pitch-black wings betraying his nature as one of the Fallen. Raynare looked over at the new arrival. "So, Dohnaseek, how did things go? Did they detect you?"

"I kept my distance and my shields up, so I don't think so. The two Peerages are certainly nothing to sneeze at, given how they dealt with that Stray. Neither is the power of Apollonia's half-breed girl. Indeed, I know she's holding back much of her power. And with eight wings, she certainly has power, more so than her mother did. She may be yet to reach her full potential, though."

"And with those damn wards, we'll have a hard time breaking into Apollonia's house, never mind snatching the Argento brat," Kalawarner said. "And the school's Devil territory."

"Which means we'll have to snatch her while she's in transit," Raynare said. "While she's outside the wards, and preferably while she only has the half-breed as an escort. Powerful though she is, she's also young and inexperienced. As they may recognise myself or Kalawarner given our previous attempts at attacking that pervert Hyoudou, I'm leaving this to you, Dohnaseek, and you, Mittelt."

"Hey, why don't I get in on it?!" Freed demanded.

"Because we don't want Argento becoming damaged goods," Raynare said bluntly. "We need her and her Sacred Gear alive and relatively well. And given how you'd love to enjoy yourself with people like her, that wouldn't work out. She might not live long enough for us to extract the Sacred Gear. You can have fun by attacking the clients of Devils. That may help distract their attention from us."

Freed gave a vicious grin. One that didn't bode well at all towards anyone he would target…

 **CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, there you have it. Harry and the others befriending Asia, the fight against Viser, and the Fallen plotting. And this will be the last chapter for a while, as I've burnt myself out doing this and other fics, and I don't know exactly what to do with the next chapter. That being said, this has already become one of my most popular fics, given how soon it has been since I posted it.**

 **Hope you liked Issei, or rather, his mother, having a connection to the Wizarding World.**

 **1\. The manga has been going on already by the events of this chapter (set in 2007), though the anime of** ** _Soul Eater_** **is yet to be made.**


	12. Chapter 11: Disquiet

**CHAPTER 11:**

 **DISQUIET**

The next morning, in her guise as Yuuma, Raynare walked the streets. Nowhere near Kuoh Academy, naturally: the accursed Gremory heir and her Sitri husband may have circulated her description to the Devils in Kuoh. Raynare did alter her disguise somewhat as Yuuma, changing some parts of the face, as well as her hairstyle, and even made herself look a few years younger. She kept the scrunchy Issei had won for her, and given to her as a gift.

She would never admit it to herself, but that day had left feelings of disquiet within. Despite being an unrepentant pervert, Issei had been a gentleman that day. Oh, you could see the perversion in his eyes and, to a degree, in his expression, but until she had transformed, he had kept those thoughts to himself. And when Harry Sitri and Hermione Granger intervened, she had felt a pang of envy, that a Fallen and a Devil could work together so readily, although that envy was buried deep beneath a pile of disgust. So too was her usual respect for Azazel, hence her retort to Apollonia's spawn.

She had to admit, she was afraid of Apollonia's spawn, the one named Hermione. She murmured the name under her breath. An alien-sounding name in Japan, and certainly unusual enough even back in Britain, where she came from. Raynare was old enough to have attended the premiere of _A Winter's Tale_ , had she been actually inclined to watch one of Shakespeare's plays. But Apollonia had six wings, more than Raynare did, and Hermione had eight. Okay, she was more inexperienced, but even so, Raynare, with a scowl, remembered the power behind the Light-Spear that managed to hit her. It had hurt.

Raynare had decided, long ago, that in order to attain that which she truly desired, she needed power. While she didn't truly want to go down Kokabiel's route of provoking a conflict, she nonetheless followed some of his ideology, that the Fallen were superior to both their supposedly pure brethren in Heaven, and the Devils in the Underworld. Or at least that was the lie that she told herself.

Of course, working with that creep Freed only barely fit the category of 'necessary evil'. They took him on only because he was powerful, and would jump when they barked. She felt like showering every time she was near the man.

She happened to wander to a store which had a sign in both Japanese and English. The English version was _Weasley's Wacky Wheezes_. But the word 'wacky' blurred a little, and she realised, there was some sort of basic magical camouflage on it. Concentrating, she saw 'wacky' change into 'wizarding'.

Weasley was not a Japanese name. And if they were wizards, what were the odds that they knew Harry Sitri, formerly Harry Potter?

Not that she was going to try anything so stupid as to kidnap them. Not yet, anyway. Gaining intelligence, though, was another matter.

As she walked inside, she found herself in a massive and elaborate joke and novelty shop. Though predominantly European in terms of the flavour of jokes, there were plenty of Japanese-style pranks on offer. She had to admit, most of them looked amusing, and many of them looked like they were original creations, presumably by the owners of the shop.

"Can I help you?" someone asked in Japanese from the counter. Raynare whirled to find a redheaded boy, in his late teens or early twenties, grinning at her. Not lecherously, but the sort of grin that meant he wanted to help you find something to humiliate a third party with.

"No, sorry, just browsing." Feeling somewhat bold, she walked over to him, and asked quietly, "Well, actually, I saw the hidden part of the sign, and…"

"Ah, say no more! We have a connoisseur," the boy said with a smile. He gestured towards one of the walls. "There's a Notice-Me-Not spell on the doorway."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

* * *

The pranks here were definitely magical. Quite ingenious, too. Most of them were clearly exclusive to this store, judging by the packaging. There were even a few that she wanted to buy, if only to put Freed into his place, disgusting little man that he was. A portable swamp, for example.

So engrossed was she in looking at the stock that she didn't notice the discussion nearby, although she thought one of the voices sounded somewhat familiar, or that it seemed to cut off suddenly. However, she all but jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice of Harry Sitri say, "You like what you see, Raynare?"

She leapt back, forming a Light-Spear, but not unleashing it. And there was Harry Sitri, standing in front of her, his face a study in dark amusement. "I'm curious, do the Fallen need to go to the toilet? I'm just wondering because you look like you nearly pissed yourself."

"Bastard," Raynare snarled.

"I'd call you a murderous bitch, and it'd be more accurate," Harry snarked. "Now, calm down. If we fight in here, the stock of some good friends of mine will be damaged, along with their store and themselves, and I saw you looking at some of the items with actual interest. And before you ask, they're human, not part of my Peerage. They're still my friends, though, and without having made any deals to boot. Unless a rather mundane loan counts, and even then, they owe me money, not their souls."

While Raynare didn't really give a shit about his friends, it was true that a fight would destroy the very items she was considering buying. "So what are you suggesting? Taking it outside?"

"I'd prefer to talk," Harry said. "And by the way, ditch the 'innocent schoolgirl' look for the time being, Raynare. It doesn't suit you."

Raynare scowled, before she changed into her true form, her wings sprouting (and nearly sweeping stuff off higher shelves). "I have nothing to say to Devils and their allies."

"You had plenty to say when you tried to murder Issei. Including to my friend, Hermione. Who is incidentally a friend to the owners of this shop, not to mention my cousin, Sona. By the way, Apollonia sent on the news of what you did to Azazel. He isn't pleased with you. In fact, he was very disappointed with you, because he considered you to be a friend. You may find this hard to believe, but my friends and I believe that coexistence between humans, Devils, and Angels, Fallen or not, is possible. Peaceful relations may be impossible, but they can be better than they are now."

"You know nothing," Raynare hissed. "You're a Devil, you never knew what it was like to be in the presence of God! To know that loss so keenly and profoundly…"

"And what? Killing Devils and people who actually were blessed by God with Sacred Gears would earn his favour?" Harry snorted. "Maybe killing Devils who cause actual evil, and Sacred Gear bearers who use their powers for evil, yes, I can understand that. Why did you murder Issei, then? Was it because he was a potential threat to you? I would have thought you would have extracted a Sacred Gear from him. And here I thought Dumbledore made questionable decisions. Apollonia told me you fell centuries ago. You're much older than Dumbledore is, and yet…I would think actually recruiting him to your side or extracting his Sacred Gear would have been better than turning him into a shish kebab."

Raynare opened her mouth to retort, only to shut it when she realised he had a point. Why did she want Issei dead? Why not steal the Sacred Gear he bore?

Eventually, she said, "I wanted to torment the perverted little shit. To think someone like him has a Sacred Gear. He doesn't deserve such a gift, even if it's a relatively lowly Sacred Gear."

"I think you underestimate his power. Don't get me wrong, I don't know why someone like him has a Sacred Gear either. I guess that's Finagle's Law in play. But for all of his perversion, I think there's a good person within him. Rias thinks so, she wouldn't have brought him into her Peerage, otherwise. And besides, I have a saving people thing. It hasn't changed even after I learned I was a Devil. As long as you're a decent person in the end, I don't care if you're an Angel or a Fallen or a Nephilim or a Devil. I also hate it when people get exploited for their own ends, especially those with Sacred Gears. There's a young nun, for example, who was exploited by the Church for her Sacred Gear, but excommunicated because she healed a Devil. A Devil whom, incidentally, also intended to exploit her in a far more grotesque way."

"You mean Asia Argento," Raynare said.

"And you just confirmed your interest in her," Harry pointed out. "An unhealthy interest. Azazel has given Apollonia, Hermione, and the Peerages in this area explicit instructions to keep her safe."

"You're lying! Azazel would never ask anything like that of a Devil!" Raynare sneered.

"Why don't you ask him yourself? Unless you're afraid of being called to task for what you did to Issei?" Harry retorted. "Is that it? You're sneaking behind his back like a naughty little kid? I'm, what, how many centuries your junior? And yet, I can certainly think more rationally than you."

With a roar, she sent him reeling to the floor with a punch. But to her surprise, she found her fist searing in pain, as if she had just punched a waterfall of molten lava. It even smoked a little. With a snarl of pain, she growled, "What did you do to me?"

"That was more what _my mother_ did to you," Harry said, getting to his feet. "Defensio Ultima. And did you know that one of the key Latin phrases used in the 'protection' ritual is a famous motto the world over? _Nemo me impune lacessit_. 'Nobody attacks me with impunity'. In short, anyone who attacks me who is an enemy gets damaged in their turn. My parents sacrificed themselves when I was an infant to give me the power to protect myself. That is love and devotion taken to its best extremes. They loved me. I've no doubt you think love is alien to a Devil, and frankly, given what I had to deal with growing up, I'm surprised I still know what love is. But I do. I love my friends. I love humanity at their best. I love Devils, and the Angels, Fallen or not, at their best. But most of all, I love Rias Gremory." He then glared at Raynare. "Asia is like me in many ways. She may not be a Devil, but rather, a devout human girl, but she also had to deal with isolation and high expectations, not to mention being treated like trash because her morality compelled her to an act for which she was excommunicated by pompous self-righteous arseholes. Already, I feel like she is a younger sister to me, and someone who should be allowed to live their life without fear or dread. You, Raynare, are a threat to her life, along with your comrades. But you have a choice. I mean, wasn't that what God's all about? Free will and all that?"

"And what is that choice?" Raynare asked with a sneer.

"Leave Asia alone, or _die_. If you need her to heal someone of yours, that's fine, we can arrange something. But you're not going to extract her Sacred Gear for your arsenal. And if I were you, I'd head back to Azazel and ask for his forgiveness. He told me you were a good person, not so long ago. And I'll put it to you bluntly. Many Devils embody sins, and you want to know what my worst sin is?" He leaned forward, and whispered into her ear, " _Wrath._ I have anger issues, and a metric fuckton of power just itching to be unleashed. Harm Asia, and, well, what's that Shakespeare quote? _Cry 'havoc', and let slip the dogs of war(_ _1)_ _._ "

Raynare felt a chill go down her spine. She knew that Harry Sitri was not making an idle threat. For the first time in a very long time, she was actually afraid.

Then, as if flicking a switch, Harry became, if not cheerful, then courteous again. "A few Fallen look constipated, I reckon. That one there, U-No-Poo, will make it actual."

Raynare frowned, plucking the jar of pills he indicated from the shelf. After a moment, she snorted at the pun. Obvious to anyone who knew anything about the recent history of Magical Britain. "What _did_ happen to that fool of a wizard? Tom Riddle, the one who got that pretentious name?"

"Voldemort? Oh, my cousin Serafall made him into a Prinny."

Despite herself, Raynare laughed. "A Prinny? You're kidding!"

"I have pictures." Harry made a gesture, and conjured up a picture of Serafall Leviathan, dressed as Etna from _Disgaea_ , punting a Prinny while four other Prinnies looked on. It was a wizarding photo, because it moved, with Serafall punting the Prinnies repeatedly, before taking a bow after each round. "Voldemort, aka Bitch, is her favourite punting toy."

Raynare laughed again. She couldn't help it. The tension from the earlier confrontation had melted away. "Can I have a copy?"

"Sure," Harry said, before taking the photo back, and making a copy with his magic. As he handed the copy over, he said, "Remember what I said, Raynare."

As he left, Raynare was left with conflicting feelings. On the one hand, he was something she loathed, and had made her all but piss herself from fear (the Fallen were capable of doing so, but she wasn't going to tell him that). And yet, he had shown a kindness on a whim, despite the fact that they were mortal enemies. He had made her laugh, despite their animosity. As if he hoped that they wouldn't be enemies, despite evidence to the contrary.

As she took the jar of U-No-Poo to the counter, where one of the redheads waited, she knew one thing for sure. Freed and Kalawarner were definitely getting a dose of these later…

 **CHAPTER 11 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And there you have it: a chapter with Raynare's point of view. This was partly in response to Bunny153539's review about Raynare, and I wanted to flesh her out a little and explore her character. Actually, after doing this chapter, I'm considering another fic with this crossover…**

 **BTW, quick question, can the Fallen enter the Underworld without detection if they're careful and/or powerful? Because I have an idea for a cliffhanger for the end of the story…**

 **Review-answering time! For those of you complaining about Devils being natural polyglots, keep in mind that Harry's Devil powers have been bound for some time, and so, it takes him some time to recover that particular ability.**

 **cerxer1** **: I could say narrative imperative, but keep in mind that, powerful though Harry and Hermione are, they're inexperienced when fighting. Raynare is centuries old, if I recall correctly.**

 **harlequin320** **: Because of what happened earlier, the Riser Arc won't happen in this story. Riser and Harry may yet have an unofficial Rating Game, but it will be more along the lines of a (relatively) friendly spar, in order to see who's stronger. This fic will probably end after the business with Asia is sorted.**

 **Reishin Amara** **: Well, while I'm not going to say who will survive, some of the Fallen who try to extract Twilight Healing from Asia may survive.**

 **Molten Thunder** **: I haven't decided on any further members of his Peerage, though I've received a couple of suggestions, and not just from you. Neville's parents, however, are definitely not going to be part of Harry's Peerage.**

 **1\. He's quoting from** ** _Julius Caesar_** **, specifically, for those of you who have heard the quote, but you don't know where it comes from.**


	13. Chapter 12: Freed

**CHAPTER 12:**

 **FREED**

Rias was far from happy when she learned about Harry's confrontation with Raynare, though Harry was pleased to note that she was more worried about his safety, and that of the Weasley twins. Fred had come to the Occult Research Club today to corroborate Harry's story. "This is concerning," Rias remarked. "You did what you could, warning her off, but she's become aware of your Defensio Ultima. It would've been better to turn her into a feather duster."

"Azazel still thinks she might be able to come back into the fold," Harry said.

"That's what my mother says," Hermione said. "But she also remembers Raynare. She was prideful and quick to anger. It's one of the reasons she fell."

"Sounds like someone you know, eh, Padfoot?" Remus asked, nudging his fellow Marauder, who scowled.

"What do we do, then?" Neville asked.

"Besides protect Asia? We discreetly keep an eye out for any potential hideouts. The Fallen tend to congregate at sacred sites, or former sacred sites. Raynare and her ilk would choose the latter," Rias said. "Otherwise, they might get too much attention from Heaven. And there's troubling news from Sona. One of her Peerage thought she saw someone matching the description of Freed Sallzen in the area."

Harry frowned. The name rang a bell, but he was sure it was one he had only heard in passing. "Who's that?"

"Freed Sallzen," Asia supplied, shivering in fear and disgust. "One of the most prolific Exorcists to ever have worked for the Church…and one of its most vile. He is known for murdering anyone who has the least contact with Devils, as well as crimes of a carnal variety. He was excommunicated some time ago. His name was a byword for infamy amongst the Exorcists." Once more, the teenaged nun shivered. Clearly, Freed was a boogyman in the Church.

"A Stray Exorcist, in other words," Harry groaned.

"And one of the most sadistic and psychopathic," Rias confirmed. "As fanatical as some Stray Exorcists are, Freed's one of the worst, caring only about killing, not about innocence or guilt. He's a sadistic serial killer who uses religion as his justification. And he's also powerful, despite being only human. He's like Alexander Anderson(1) with no moral compass whatsoever or respect for anyone bar himself. While it's possible that he may be working independently, there has been an influx of Stray Exorcists and defrocked priests in the area of late. And given the Fallen's interest in Asia, I'm not going to dare call it coincidence."

Asia got up. "Excuse me, I need to pray." Hermione escorted her to another room, as prayers were painful to the Devils. She left the room out of courtesy: devout though she was, she found herself beginning to befriend the members of the Occult Research Club, and she didn't like hurting them.

"Poor girl," Remus remarked ruefully as Hermione closed a door, leaving Asia to pray. "She looked scared." He then frowned. "Wait a moment, I've encountered that bastard Freed before. Does he have silvery hair? Would look handsome if he didn't have the expression of a raving lunatic?"

"Yes. You've met him, then?" Rias asked.

Remus shuddered. "Briefly. It was shortly before I came to teach at Hogwarts. Freed barged in on a werewolf gathering, and began exterminating us. Even Fenrir Greyback was scared of him."

Sirius whistled. " _Fenrir Greyback_ was scared of him?"

"I later heard through the werewolf grapevine that there were only two people who scare Fenrir Greyback: Voldemort and Freed."

Rias nodded. "If that's the case, then when we go to make contracts, we'll go in pairs for safety."

"I'll go with Koneko," Luna said.

"The Marauders will stick together," Sirius declared.

"I'll go with Neville," Kiba announced.

"Okay, well, I'll go with Issei," Harry said. "Is that okay, Rias?"

"Sure. Akeno and I like to work together anyway."

* * *

Later that night, Harry accompanied Issei to a contract. As the boy couldn't use magic circles well, needing to walk or ride a bike, Harry walked alongside him. And he had to admit, when Issei wasn't going on about his perverted thoughts, he was at least somewhat likeable. Harry would have bet that he would have gone into Gryffindor, had he gone to Hogwarts. He had the bravery and headstrong nature. And he certainly had a genuine desire to protect Asia.

Funnily enough, the poor boy had never managed to fulfil any contracts to date, though Rias noted that despite this, he had actually pleased many of the customers despite failing to fill said contracts. However, Rias reminded Issei, calmly but sternly, that he needed to make contracts, and not just friends. Harry had reassured Issei that all he needed to do was make sure they fulfilled their contracts, as making friends with them, or else being nice to them, actually worked out better.

Harry was telling Issei about some of the lives the members of the Occult Research Club went through (Rias had given him permission). Issei was scowling when he heard about them. Harry had managed to help Kiba alleviate some of the hatred he felt towards the Holy Swords and their wielders, though Kiba still wanted revenge against his adopted father and the man who had created the project that had put him and so many other children through absolute hell.

And of course, there was what poor Koneko went through thanks to her sister, and Akeno thanks to her Nephilim heritage. There was Remus being a werewolf, and Sirius getting betrayed and sent to Azkaban without a trial, not to mention Neville seeing his parents tortured into insanity (and the ways his family tested him for magic) and Luna seeing her mother die. Xenophilus Lovegood, incidentally, was travelling Japan, looking for _youkai_. He had been delighted to meet the Occult Research Club, especially Koneko. He also viewed Luna's transformation into a Devil with cheerful indifference, though Hermione suspected that was because, like his daughter, he had a mind so open, anything could and everything did fall in.

"Out of the two Peerages and our associates, Hermione and Rias are the only ones who had remotely normal childhoods and decent lives," Harry concluded. "Oh, and the twins."

Issei nodded, still scowling, before he looked up. "We're here," he noted.

* * *

They entered the house of their client. Harry's instincts began jangling, though, long before they entered the dimly-lit living room. Harry and Issei realised it was an ambush when they saw the mutilated body, nailed to a wall upside down in a parody of a crucifixion, while blood and viscera coated the floor. Issei struggled not to vomit at the horrific sight. And sitting down at a nearby lounge was a young man with a mop of silvery hair. Harry knew this must be Freed

"Issei," Harry said quietly, "stay close." Louder, he remarked, "Mocking the way your messiah died speaks volumes about your character. Doing it to some poor bastard for shits and giggles is just compounding that."

"Silly little Devils can't lecture me," said Freed in a sing-song tone, as he turned to look at them, a deranged look coming over his features. He even leered, his tongue poking out. Harry felt himself grow sick to the core. He'd heard horror stories from Sirius about his cousin, Bellatrix Black, later Bellatrix Lestrange, the crazed lieutenant and habitual lover of Voldemort. He'd even shown Harry memories via Pensieve of her in action. This guy was very like Bellatrix. Mad, bad, and dangerous to know was an understatement of epic proportions. As he rose from the lounge chair, he said, "You got the wrong house, it seems. Too bad for you little Devils."

Harry put himself between Freed and Issei, before snarking, "This coming from the man who breaks and enters, not to mention murdering someone in a way that spits on your own faith."

"He summoned a Devil, which meant that he stopped being human in my eyes, and that's good enough for me," Freed said, doing a weird, prancing little march. "I tore his mephitic guts out, and now…I'll do the same to you two."

"You can try." Harry began concentrating to use his Steam Power ability. Exploding Freed would be a service to the world. As bad as Raynare had been, you could see humanity in her eyes. Freed, however, had little but a monomania for murder. He noticed Issei summoning his Sacred Gear from the corner of his eye.

"Ooh, cocky, aren't we?" Freed jeered, before plucking an elaborate pistol and what looked like an ornately-decorated sword hilt from his coat. "Don't leave me unsatisfied, little Devils!" he crowed, activating something on the sword hilt, causing it to sprout a blade of white light.

Harry blinked. He had heard of such weapons before, having been taught about them by his cousins and Rias, and he knew what he was going to say. "Y'know, there's two things you should know, Freed." As the priest cocked his head at Harry curiously, Harry put up one finger. "One, I think George Lucas is going to sue your arse into oblivion for stealing the ideas for lightsabres, or at least making your own and not telling him."

"…And the other thing?" Freed asked, bemused.

"Judging by the length of your lightsabre, you're compensating for something."

Issei, naturally, guffawed, though he didn't have much time before Freed lunged. Harry shoved Issei out of the way, while dodging himself. However, Freed managed to hit Harry with a swipe of the sword. Not enough to do serious damage, but enough to cause burning pain to erupt along his stomach, a gash opened up by the lightsabre ripoff sword. He then shot Issei in the knee. "TOO SLOW!" he jeered.

Harry, despite the pain, grinned. "As the actress said to the archbishop," he snarled, before unleashing the spell. Unfortunately, Freed managed to get outside of the spell's field of effect.

Well, most of him, anyway.

His left arm, the one holding the pistol, was still in the field, and exploded in a blast of steam and blood and gore. The bones were still there, along with some of the muscles and tendons, but his gun dropped to the ground with a clatter.

As he stared at it, Harry sneered. "That's what happens when you get the blood boiling, Judas Priest(2)."

"Fuck! Bastard Devil! I need backup! Hope you're hungry, 'cos Light-Spears are on the menu!"

As dark energy swirled on the ceiling, Harry grabbed onto Issei. "He's calling Fallen Angels, and more than one. Facing them alone is risky," he hissed at the perverted teenager.

Issei nodded, looking shaken as the sigil of the Sitri family formed underneath them. Technically, only members of the Sitri family and their Peerages could use these transportation circles, but because of how closely linked the Gremory and Sitri families were nowadays, as long as a Gremory Devil was in the company of a Sitri Devil, or vice versa, either could be used.

Harry then glared at Freed, before holding out a hand, palm-first, in a halting gesture. "It doesn't mean we can't give them a little present. Rias has managed to teach me how to use part of her Power of Destruction. Let's see how they enjoy being the booby in the booby-trap." Dark energy with a fuchsia glow spat out, and stuck to the carpet, just enough to demolish anything inside this room and wake up the populace in the block. Then, just as they fled through the transportation circle, Harry was sure he caught a glimpse of Raynare, leading a trio of Fallen, coming through, only to have their eyes widen upon seeing the small Power of Destruction bomb Harry had left right below them. Her widening eyes just before they ended up back at the Occult Research Club was a sight to behold…

* * *

Issei apologised profusely to Rias that he couldn't get a contract. However, Rias, who had been on the verge of heading over to Harry and Issei to help (having sensed the Stray Exorcist), told him that she needed to apologise more than Issei, for she had accidentally sent them into the arms of the very Stray Exorcist they were trying to avoid.

"It's okay, Rias," Harry said. "At least we went in twos, and Freed's in a bad way. If it was just Issei there, it might have gone differently. I'm annoyed that I didn't manage to kill him." He grimaced in pain. He still had that gash from Freed, which Rias was beginning to heal, and Issei was having his wound tended to by Akeno. "Unless that Power of Destruction Bomb got him. But something tells me he's like a cockroach, only more lethal."

Rias nodded. "Exorcists have to be the very best, in order to survive anything a Devil throws at them. Stray Exorcists are hunted by the Church and Heaven, and those who aren't good enough to avoid either soon die. Those who do survive are often thorns in the side of the Church and Heaven as well as us. Azazel sometimes uses Stray Exorcists, true, but not ones like Freed."

"I don't want to meet someone like him again," Issei shuddered. "But I am, aren't I?"

Harry nodded sadly. "Sorry, all part and parcel of being a Devil, especially if you're part of a Peerage."

* * *

Later that night, Harry and Rias were spooning in bed. Harry had taken time to getting used to having another person in the same bed as him, never mind someone of the opposite sex, and naked. But he enjoyed the warmth of her embrace as she lay behind him, her breasts pressing into his back, her arms around him. And her embrace had the feel of her drawing comfort and succour from it, tonight. Freed's ambush had shaken her as much has it had Issei. Like Harry, she cared for her Peerage. And having lectured Issei about the importance of making contracts with clients, she felt responsible.

"I'd thought for a moment I'd put you and Issei in the most terrible danger," Rias murmured.

"None of us could have known that nutjob would be there," Harry said quietly. "I know Issei needs to make contracts, so it's not your fault you needed to give him a hurry-up. I'm certain he admires you, and for more than your looks, too. We're probably amongst his only friends, you know. I mean, aside from those two idiots. You've made him feel wanted, and he probably wanted that more than to ogle at girls, though I don't think he'd ever admit that."

Rias chuckled, a little ruefully. "I guess there's that. You know how that feels, don't you, Harry?"

"I knew how it felt. But I know I am wanted, and for who I am. Neville, Luna, Hermione, Remus, Sirius, Fred and George, Serafall, Sona, Kiba, Koneko, Akeno…and of course, you. Okay, it was Serafall who basically shoved us together, but, well, you don't regret it, do you?"

"Not one iota. You?"

"Of course not. I'm glad she did, because one, it saved you from having to marry Riser Phenex, and two, and most importantly, you're a beautiful woman, inside and out. Smart, altruistic, and devastatingly gorgeous." He got an impish smile on his face. "You sure you haven't got any Angel in you?"

"Watch it, you," Rias said with mock indignation and a false tone of warning, her hand snaking around and down, and grasping a very sensitive part indeed. Though not in a way that was actually threatening. Quite the opposite. "I have sharp nails," she threatened, albeit with laughter in her tone.

"But you'd lose your favourite toy," Harry protested playfully.

"I can heal it. I won't let Akeno near it. You're mine, Harry Sitri. And I am yours."

And that was the cue for Harry, once his member was released by Rias, to roll around. She pushed him down onto the bed, and then clambered onto him, straddling him. For a time, they were still, drinking in the sights of their partner's bodies, and the sensations of him inside her. Then, the lust was too much, and they embarked on their expedition into the realms of carnal pleasure.

As it was, they had put up various spells long ago to prevent sounds from disturbing anyone else present. It didn't do to be discourteous to others, even if they were having fun, after all, and Rias was certainly quite the screamer…

 **CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry and Issei have encountered Freed. The upside-down crucified body was something I read in another fanfic, possibly something from either the manga or the light novels, but I thought it was so like Freed to do something that mocked the faith he nominally followed, so I used it here. Freed seems like the unholy offspring of Alexander Anderson, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Melvin from** ** _Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series_** **.**

 **I also wanted to develop Issei's character beyond the pervert he is in canon. He does have some redeeming qualities in that he's a loyal friend to those who truly win his allegiance. He'd be a Gryffindor or maybe a Hufflepuff. Harry's trying to basically make him better.**

 **Also, I'm setting up here the foundations for a less fractious time when the Holy Swords Arc comes around (I'm ending this particular fic at the end of the whole Asia/Raynare Arc, but will start a sequel fic not long after). While I will elaborate in later chapters, basically, Harry, Kiba, and Rias have discussed the whole 'Holy Swords' thing, and while Kiba still has his ardour towards them, he has less of it, and is more determined to avenge himself on those who headed the project, rather than hating Excalibur and its artificial users. Sirius also helped: he has firsthand knowledge of what happens when revenge attempts backfire, after all.**

 **1\. While it's unlikely anyone reading this won't know, I'll just point out that Alexander Anderson was an antagonist and rival to Alucard in** ** _Hellsing_** **. Anderson, although a brutal combatant and a Catholic fundamentalist, nonetheless shows some honour and even some decent attributes.**

 **2\. In** ** _Hellsing_** **, Anderson is called a Judas Priest on more than one occasion, if I recall, partly as a reference to the band of the same name and partly because he is a warrior of the fictional Vatican branch known as Iscariot.**


	14. Chapter 13: Gasper, the Transvestite

**CHAPTER 13:**

 **GASPER, THE TRANSVESTITE DHAMPIR**

Just after school the next day, Harry knocked on a particular door in the Occult Research Club's headquarters gently. Not long after they started seeing each other, Rias actually gained her first Bishop, albeit via a Mutated Piece. Said Bishop was powerful, but unable to control their power. Harry understood why she kept her Bishop locked away, especially as said Bishop actually liked being alone. But he also didn't want said Bishop to be fully isolated.

Therefore, once a week, Harry would go to visit Rias' Bishop. While it didn't help the confidence of said Bishop that much, the Bishop did grow a little out of their shell, and while Rias couldn't risk her Bishop in a Rating Game yet, she did come with Harry to try and stay on good terms with her Bishop.

Harry, Rias, Hermione, and Neville were visiting Rias' Bishop, and Asia and Issei were brought along, though Issei was cautioned to avoid being too loud, or make any sudden moves.

In the middle of the room was a coffin, and sitting in said coffin was a boy. It was hard to tell he was a boy, partly because he was effeminate, and partly because he wore the girls' uniform of Kuoh Academy. He had blonde hair and violet eyes. And little fangs. And pointed ears. A cute little transvestite vampire. Well, dhampir, technically. In other words, half-vampire, on his father's side. He was a shut-in, with extreme agoraphobia, because his family used to punish him whenever he left their residence, and treated him with indifference or fear whenever he was inside their residence. His lack of control over his Sacred Gear didn't help matters, either.

"Hello, Gasper," Harry said, kneeling down next to the boy.

Gasper looked up, before smiling slightly. "Hello." He looked up at Issei and Asia, and his expression fell. "Umm, who are these people?"

"They're friends of ours," Harry said, though how much Issei was actually a friend was debatable. "The guy's Issei Hyoudou, and he's Rias' new Pawn. The girl's Asia Argento. Like you, they both have a Sacred Gear. We're just trying to keep an eye on Asia to make sure she's safe."

"That's a guy?" Issei asked, sceptically (though Harry was pleased to note that he kept his voice quiet as asked). Harry could see why Issei was confused. Gasper was so effeminate, between that and the girls' uniform, he looked like a slender girl. He was like Koneko or Asia, so cute you just wanted to give him a hug. He wasn't one for physical contact, though, not normally. He rarely allowed anyone to touch him.

"Believe it or not, he is. Issei, Asia, this is Gasper Vladi, my Bishop. He's also a dhampir, half-human, half-vampire. But he's a bit too powerful for me to handle, and as you can see, he lacks self-confidence," Rias said. "That's a bad combination, so I'd like to have him build it up enough before I bring him into battle with me."

Hermione proffered a bag. "I got you the books you wanted, Gasper. Oh, and some Blood Pops."

Gasper smiled shyly, before taking the bag from Hermione. Asia, meanwhile, frowned. "Gasper has a Sacred Gear?"

"Yeah," Hermione said. She was one of the few people whom Gasper allowed to touch him, along with Rias and Harry, and sometimes Koneko, and she was gently holding his shoulder. "Gasper? Show Asia your little trick."

Gasper looked at Hermione, a little fearfully, before he looked at Asia, who smiled reassuringly. Suddenly, Gasper vanished in a brief flare of violet light. Or rather, he suddenly appeared in the corner, looking at Asia and Issei apprehensively. Then, just as suddenly, he reappeared in the box, and Hermione was giving him a reassuring pat on the back.

Issei whistled gently, impressed despite himself. "He's fast."

"Not like you think. Gasper's a bit like Dio Brando from _JoJo's Bizarre Adventure_ in terms of ability," Rias said. "What you saw was not him using immense speed, but rather, stopping time briefly. His Sacred Gear is the Forbidden Balor View, allowing him to stop time within his field of vision. It's hard for him to control his power, though, for various reasons. Besides the power of the Forbidden Balor View, there are his confidence and self-esteem issues. When we first got him, my brother ordered him sealed up. However, Harry and Hermione suggested this as an alternative: as Gasper actually wants to be a shut-in, we give him his space and all, and we work to help him control his power, little by little. Sirzechs actually agreed to this, partly because Harry had Serafall lean on him a little. Gasper's actually the biggest earner of my Peerage, making contracts via the internet."

"And he's cute as well," Asia said with a gentle smile. Gasper returned it, albeit somewhat shakily: Harry knew that the dhampir hated being the centre of attention. But Asia called him cute, and Gasper liked looking cute. Sincere compliments helped the young dhampir's self-esteem.

Harry actually felt a lot of sympathy for Gasper. Like Harry, he had been kept in seclusion by relatives, and punished harshly for any transgressions, out of fear from the power he had within him. Rias' Peerage were not just his friends, but his family, just as his own was to him. If Akeno was the big sister, Kiba the big brother, and Koneko the little sister, Gasper was the little brother you wanted to protect. Harry saw a lot of himself in Gasper, and one thing he did ensure with Rias was that she never treated the dhampir like a weapon. Rias acceded: she didn't like such a thought anyway. They just worked to make sure Gasper had his space, but also to try and rebuild the self-confidence Gasper's family destroyed.

They were building up to the day when they would bring Gasper out of the room. On rare occasion, he did come out into the clubhouse. But they needed to be sure he was capable of using his Sacred Gear without losing control before they let him out. He was getting there, but it was a slow process. The Blood Pops helped: Gasper didn't like blood, but Blood Pops, which had real blood in them, were another matter.

"So, Gasper, see anything interesting on the internet recently?" Harry asked gently.

"Umm, a few things. Like the latest _Doctor Who_ series. There's a lot of people going on about the ending of the latest series in Britain."

Hermione scoffed. "I know. I watched it. I mean, it was great bringing back the Master and all, and it was a good story for the most part, but that resolution was very much a _deus ex machina(_ _1)_."

"A what?" Issei asked.

"It means the resolution was pulled out of thin air," Rias explained. "It comes from a tactic lazy Greek playwrights used to sort out tangled-up plots. They'd literally have a god descend from the heavens in a machine or _machina_ to fix things up, hence, _deus ex machina_ , or 'god from out of the machine'."

"I've seen more than a few anime series where that's happened," Issei remarked, thoughtful for once. "And those video games where the final boss comes out of nowhere, like Zeromus or Yu Yevon."

Gasper, meanwhile, licked at his Blood Pop, while speaking, albeit quietly. "Why is Asia here?" Gasper asked. "She's not part of either Peerage, is she?"

"Long story short, she got kicked out by the Church, and we were asked by Azazel to look after her," Neville said. "And some rogue Fallen may want her for her Sacred Gear." Then, with a sudden resolve, he looked over at Asia. "Umm, Asia, I've been meaning to ask, but I didn't want to be rude about it."

"What did you want, Neville?" Asia asked.

"Ummm, my parents, they were tortured by Death Eaters using the C-C-Cruciatus Curse," Neville admitted. "It's driven them into, well, I don't know what it is. Hermione says it's like dementia. And I was wondering, can your Sacred Gear heal that?"

Asia blinked, before she frowned, not in any rejection of Neville's request, but in thought. "I don't know. I think Twilight Healing only heals physical wounds. I did heal people with brain damage, but it does not heal psychological problems. I don't know which it would be. The Cruciatus Curse, that's the one that causes extreme pain, isn't it?"

Hermione nodded. "So you know of some of the spells we use?"

"I knew a few Exorcists, and they spoke of the Unforgivable Curses wizards and witches can use. Horrible things," Asia said with a shudder. "So do you want me to try and heal your parents, Neville?"

"Yes. Rias suggested that we wait until we've dealt with the people after you first, though," Neville said.

"I don't think it's just the Fallen. Freed summoned them to his side when Harry and Issei confronted him last night," Rias mused. "Maybe Freed is working with Raynare and her group."

"A most appalling combination, if true," Asia remarked with another shudder.

"Maybe, but Rias and Harry are really strong," Gasper said. "And they like to help people. The same with Hermione. They'll protect you."

Harry, Rias, and Hermione were actually chuffed at the little dhampir's confidence in their abilities. And Asia's smile towards the dhampir seemed to do wonders for Gasper.

* * *

It seemed that Asia had made more of an impression on Gasper than they would have thought. The dhampir boy had actually left his room for the first time in a while, and seemed to have attached himself to Asia. The young nun seemed to take it in her stride, even with her lack of worldliness, she seemed to accept a transvestite dhampir as a possible friend. Then again, she had already accepted a group of Devils and a Nephilim as a friend. And Gasper seemed to be a bit more confident than he was in a while, if he was willing to be in the clubroom proper with strangers (in the form of Issei and Asia).

Issei was another matter. He was still looking at Gasper in some shock, though to be fair to the perverted teenager, Issei didn't seem to show any actual disdain towards Gasper, just some bemusement and disbelief.

"Okay," Rias said. "We'll spend tonight making contracts, as usual. As with last night, we go in pairs, just in case the rogue Fallen or Freed make an appearance, though Gasper, as per his usual idiom, will do his contracts from here. Tomorrow's Saturday, and I thought Asia would like to see the sights. Obviously, you can be one of her escorts, Hermione, in case Asia's pursuers make an appearance. Harry, would you like to escort her, or should I?"

"I'm fine with that. Lemme guess, if any of the Fallen turn up, they might be more reluctant to attack one of the members of the Devil nobility, right?"

"In theory, but Raynare didn't show much hesitation in trying to kill you. And Freed is very much a wild card: he couldn't care less. And given his psyche, he'd want revenge for you exploding his arm."

"My mother has gotten a communique from Azazel. If it does come to a fight, he would prefer that the Fallen be taken alive, particularly Raynare," Hermione said. "My mother said it's partly out of sentiment, but he also wants to interrogate them, find out if they're truly working for Kokabiel, as well as why they disobeyed orders. He understands if we have to kill them: Asia's life and safety take priority, and he'll cover for us."

"It'll still be a shitstorm, even if he does," Sirius said. "If Kokabiel is as great a warmonger as your mother and Azazel claim, he'll still use that as a pretext. People like him don't need much of an excuse. He's like Voldemort, thinking only he is truly superior to anyone else."

"The Grigori is far from a united front," Hermione said with a shrug. "Kokabiel is a macho idiot, but he's a powerful one, and he's got that superiority complex like Voldemort, as you said. And, like Voldemort, he has followers willing to do his deeds."

"Shouldn't we try to seek them out and stop them? I mean Raynare and her little band," Issei said.

"Seeking them out and destroying them will definitely give Kokabiel the pretext he wants to go to war," Rias pointed out. "Harry and I are having our familiars do reconnaissance, and they've found some possible locations for Raynare's base. I'm doing that so that if things do go south, we know where to go. The best possibility is an abandoned church on the outskirts of the city that Hedwig is currently checking out. Keep this in mind, Issei: we need them to make the first move. I don't like having Asia at risk any more than you do, but wars have been started for less than Devils invading the territory of the Fallen."

Harry nodded, remembering Serafall's temper often getting the better of her, all but attacking Heaven on pretexts ranging from Sona not calling her, to the Angels looking better than her. Even so, he couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive about tomorrow. After all, he could not unleash his full strength with Asia to protect.

He hoped Hedwig was all right as well.

* * *

Perched on a tree branch, under heavy wards, was a young woman with white hair, yellow eyes, and aristocratic features. She was dressed in elegant white robes that would have shone in the moonlight, if she wasn't invisible. She peered through the leaves at the abandoned church. She recognised some of the people that emerged from memories her wizard had shared with her.

Hedwig scowled when she saw Raynare and Freed, along with three others she didn't recognise. However, the names they gave as they spoke were those of the Fallen that Azazel had warned them about: Mittelt, Kalawarner, and Dohnaseek. And they began speaking of capturing Asia Argento.

Hedwig's scowl deepened. She had met the demure girl a few times, and found her sweet. She reminded Hedwig of Harry when he was younger. Before the old goat stepped up his exploitation of Harry. But the bond between Harry and Hedwig was unbreakable, and now, they had a different kind of familiar bond. Now Hedwig could take human form when she wished.

Having heard enough from the Fallen, Hedwig changed back into her owl form and flew away stealthily. She needed to tell Harry and Rias what she had found out…

 **CHAPTER 13 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And here we are. I was originally going to have Asia abducted by the Fallen for this chapter, but then, I decided to do a chapter around Gasper. I wish I had done more foreshadowing of him in prior chapters, really. I thought Harry would have tried to get Rias to keep in contact with him, so that Gasper, while still a shut-in, is less fearful. I'm sorry if Gasper seems OOC, but here, he's had more contact with people, so while he's still a shut-in, he's better able to deal with new people. I had this weird notion of Asia and Gasper becoming good friends. I'm not sure how much of that happens in canon, but here, that's what I intend to do.**

 **The bit with Hedwig was a last-minute addition, as we haven't heard from her after the timeskip.**

 **Given the popularity of this fic, I'm doing another HP/** ** _Highschool DxD_** **crossover. I finally found a good idea that wouldn't be treading quite the same ground as** ** _Fall to Zenith_** **, though it does have some similar tropes and at least two similar pairings. Unlike this story, that one won't skip the Riser arc. It's called** ** _Sympathy for the Devil_** **(originally named** ** _Knight of Gremory_** **, and despite originally having a deliberately close title to itachikage's work** ** _Knight of Sitri_** **, which I wholeheartedly recommend, it will be a different animal). In addition, there's a collection of omake tales relating to this story called** ** _Tales of the Fall_** **. There'll definitely be two chapters uploaded when this one is: one involving Akeno and the Cruciatus Curse, the other involving Nagini's fate.**

 **By the way, I may not be updating this fic for a while, as I need to both rest for a bit, as well as to refresh my memory of the scenes where Asia is taken by Raynare. I'm updating other fics alongside this one:** ** _Is Your Great-Aunt an A.I?!_** **(my crossover between Harry Potter and** ** _Portal_** **),** ** _Lux in Tenebris Lucet: Renovatur_** **(a crossover between Harry Potter and** ** _FEAR_** **), and** ** _Newport Mage_** **(a crossover between Harry Potter and** ** _Ghost in the Shell_** **). Also, I'd like to draw attention to some of my other recently-updated works:** ** _Final Fantasy VI: The Abridged Series, Champion of Twilight_** **(a crossover between Harry Potter and** ** _The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess_** **), my** ** _Naruto_** **fanfics** ** _Observations of a Wannabe Kunoichi_** **and its AU,** ** _Kunoichi and Tanuki_** **, and my zany** ** _Doctor Who_** **fanfic** ** _The UNIT Bulletin Board_** **. Give them a look, see how they go.**

 **Review-answering time! A few people complained about Harry seeming underpowered during the fights shown so far. In the fights in question (against Raynare and Freed), he had to hold back because he needed to protect Issei (Issei was still human during the fight against Raynare, and he was still pretty much a noob during the fight against Freed). In addition, the Steam Power spell he used against Freed could have been used faster, but it also would have been telegraphed, so he needed to do it slower so he could hit Freed without Freed catching on. Anyway, if you don't like the way I'm writing this story, tough shit. I'm the writer here, not you.**

 **For those of you who answered my question about the Fallen and the Underworld, thank you. It means that the ending of this fic can proceed according to plan.**

 **FinalKingdomHearts** **: I don't write lemons. At best, I write sex scenes at one remove, probably because I'd be crap at doing a full-on lemon. Then again, most lemons I have read are horribly clichéd, and often just plain horrible. The best-written sex scene I have ever read was in Neil Gaiman's** ** _American Gods_** **, and there's no way in hell I'd ever be able to emulate something like that.**

 **Plums** **: Yes, Freed has been literally disarmed. He'll still be able to fight: the guy's a tenacious little psycho, and having only one arm won't stop him. If anything, it'll make him want to kill Harry even more.**

 **Axcel** **: I'd like to imagine that Raynare played a bit of** ** _Disgaea_** **, or at least knows enough human pop-culture to recognise one.**

 **Guest** **(first reply): Harry can emulate the Power of Destruction. It needs more magical power than he would if it was an innate ability, but he can emulate it. He got better at doing so once he went through that 'power equalisation' ritual with Rias: just as she has his power now, she has some of his. But they can't use these powers to their full potential.**

 **Guest** **(second reply): In this story, he will not. I'm not a fan of harems and harem fics. Yes, I know, why am I writing a crossover with** ** _Highschool DxD_** **, then? Then again, on occasion, Rias and Akeno decide to give him a threesome (Rias being somewhat flexible, as long as Akeno remembers Rias is Harry's wife). Much, I might add, to Sirius and Issei's jealousy…**

 **1\. I love that story (** ** _Doctor Who: Utopia/The Sound of Drums/The Last of the Time Lords_** **), but even I have to agree that the ending was a** ** _deus ex machina_** **. As this story is set in late 2007, not long after this story was transmitted, I thought it'd be something interesting for Gasper and Hermione to discuss. I'd always thought of Hermione as a closet Whovian, really.**


	15. Chapter 14: The Abduction of Asia

**CHAPTER 14:**

 **THE ABDUCTION OF ASIA**

The Occult Research Club had one last meeting on Saturday morning, at the Granger residence. There, Harry shared what Hedwig had learned: that the Fallen did indeed have a base in the abandoned church.

There was also another thing to be shared, this time by Rias. She had done her research, and had finally discerned the type of Sacred Gear that Issei had: Boosted Gear, one of the 13 Longinuses. Everyone felt varying degrees of astonishment. Even Dan Granger was surprised. He looked over at his wife. "Emma dear, didn't you say that a Longinus was something that had the power to kill even God?"

"Yes, though with God Himself dead, it's a moot point," Emma said. She had already shared that information with Asia shortly after she had arrived, but had reassured the distraught young nun that Michael and the higher echelons of the angels were keeping things going. Asia resolved to continue praying to God anyway. It might be that one day, He might come back. "Boosted Gear is particularly special. Every ten seconds, the power of the wielder gets doubled. There's a similar Sacred Gear type out there called Twice Critical, but Twice Critical is common, as far as Sacred Gears go. And Twice Critical only boosts your power once. Boosted Gear can potentially boost the wielder's power _ad infinitum_ , but there's two caveats to consider. The first is that, as mentioned, it takes ten seconds for each boost to trigger, and ten seconds can be an eternity in battle. The second is that the amount of power you can handle, Issei, is limited by your body's potential. You need to physically and mentally train in order to use the Boosted Gear with as much of its full potential as you can realise. Actually, there's also a third."

"A third problem?" Harry asked. "What is it?"

"Boosted Gear has the soul of a dragon sealed inside. Namely, Ddraig, sometimes known as the Red Dragon Emperor, or the Welsh Dragon. He's the _Ddraig Goch_ on the Welsh flag. This in itself is not actually a problem. The problem is that Ddraig had a bitter rivalry with Albion, the White Dragon Emperor, or the English Dragon. Albion, like Ddraig, was sealed into another Sacred Gear, Divine Dividing. And the current wielder is one of Azazel's people, Vali Lucifer."

Hermione blinked. "Wait, wait…Vali _Lucifer?_ That nice boy with the silver hair is a descendant of the original Lucifer?" she demanded.

"You've met him?" Rias asked.

"My parents used to bring him around during the holidays. So he's a Devil?"

"Part-Devil, part-human," Emma explained. "And he hasn't had the best of lives. I helped train him in my spare time, especially once Hermione got the Hogwarts letter. He is also a prodigy when it comes to battle. As far as I know, Rias, he doesn't have designs on your brother's position."

"But I have a rival now?" Issei asked, summoning Boosted Gear and looking at it.

"Yeah. The wielders of Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing are destined to clash as rivals," Emma said.

After a moment, Issei murmured, "I'll eventually get my own harem, I have a dragon soul sealed into me, and I have a rival like out of some manga series. I _LOVE_ my life." He said this with a goofy grin.

"It's not all gumdrops and ice-cream, Issei," Harry said. "By the way, did you manage to finally make a contract yet?"

Rias nodded, while Issei beamed proudly. "Yes, he did. Got a nice bit of artwork as payment. We'll have to work on him getting people to fulfil contracts, but his customer service rating is beyond reproach."

Emma chuckled. "As long as you're not taking their souls, I'm fine. By the way, Azazel's moving to his _pied-à-terre_ in Japan, given how events are going. He thinks he may need to: rumour has it that Kokabiel is definitely setting up shop here."

"Great," Rias muttered. "Looks like we'll need every bit of help we can get. Back to Asia: have we got a Portkey set up for her?"

Remus nodded. "All she has to do is touch the pin we put on her shirt, and say 'sanctuary'. She'll end up back here."

"But the Fallen have been known to put up various wards and barriers when they attack," Emma said. "Anti-Portkey and Apparition wards included. And given that many of you were wizards, they've probably taken Portkeys into account. They're not stupid. Over-confident, yes, and blinkered, yes, but stupid, no. You might want to give her the Cloak of Invisibility, though."

"Great, so we might have to fight it out after all," Harry scowled.

"Don't think of that. Just try to have a good time, and keep an eye on Asia," Emma said. "If they are so stupid as to attack and abduct Asia, then we'll have to get her back."

* * *

Their concerns still hung a pall over Harry, Hermione, and Asia as they had their little day out. Not a date by any means. In fact, Harry and Hermione almost felt like parents escorting a child to the zoo or a theme park, despite the fact that Asia was only a year or so their junior. But she still had a very childlike naivety, much of the time.

But in a way, that made her endearing and likeable. Naivety could be frustrating, but Asia's often sunny disposition and gentle nature had already won her friends in the Occult Research Club. And if there was one thing Asia desired more than anything else in the world, it was friendship. Harry knew what that desire felt like, very acutely. So too, frankly, did Hermione, who had had few friends before Hogwarts.

They had a nice lunch in a restaurant (Asia marvelling at her very first burger), went to an arcade (Hermione won Asia a nice little stuffed toy in a claw-grab game), and finally went to a park. Not the same park where Raynare had assaulted Issei, thankfully, though this one had a large pond with columns around it.

"Thank you, both of you," Asia said quietly. "I mean, I know you are protecting me because of my Sacred Gear, but…I had a really good time."

"You're welcome," Harry said. "The world is filled with joys if you know where to look for them, and I doubt the Angels would object. Besides, you gave so much of yourself for their sake, and for that of others. It's about time you enjoyed yourself. I know how that feels."

"Because of what you went through with your relatives and at Hogwarts, right?" Asia asked. "I still find it hard to believe that the Boy Who Lived was deliberately left with abusive relatives. And that Dumbledore wanted you made into a weapon. I guess there are some things about the world I still don't know, and I'm not sure I want to."

"Sadly, this is reality, Asia," Hermione said. "When someone has a power, there's always someone who seeks to control that power. What did you really want to do out of life?"

"I…well, that's easy. I mean, the Church put this desire into me, but I still want to help those who need my help," Asia said. "I want to heal the sick and wounded. It shouldn't matter if they're Devils, humans, or Angels, Fallen or not. God may be dead, but some divine will gave me this Sacred Gear for a purpose. And it is to heal those who need it. I guess that is my purpose in life."

"Well said," Harry said with a smile.

"Oh, and not just that. I want friends. Though I think I'm getting some in you," Asia said. "I mean, I know you are protecting me because Azazel asked you to, but…I think I see how people look at me. You look at me as a friend, don't you?"

"Actually, more like a little sister," Harry said. "I've always wanted a little sister. I mean, besides Luna and Koneko. Hermione and Akeno are like big sisters. And I swear to you, Asia, as your big brother, I will do my best to protect you."

"Sadly, I don't think that's going to be enough."

The cruel voice came from behind, and Harry dodged, pulling Asia with him, as a Light-Spear lanced right through where he was. Hermione formed her own Light-Spears as she recovered from her own dodge.

Standing behind them was a pair of Fallen. One was definitely Raynare, dressed in her Boris Vallejo-like outfit. The other was a woman in a saucy little minidress. Harry kept Asia behind him, while he said to Raynare, "Would you mind introducing your friend, Raynare?" He heard Asia hiss ' _sanctuary_ ', but Harry felt none of the effects of Portkey passage.

Raynare scoffed. "Kalawarner, this is Harry Sitri, formerly Harry Potter. The girl is Hermione Granger, the Nephilim spawn of Apollonia. And the girl currently trying to escape via Portkey is our target Asia Argento. We thought you might try something like that. Apollonia is not the only one who can make excellent wards. Apparition won't do anything either, unless you like being splinched."

"So, it's a fight you want?" Hermione asked.

"Dohnaseek and Mittelt are the ones spoiling for a fight," Raynare said. "Hand the girl over, and then we might consider leaving."

"How about no?" Harry said.

"You're violating your orders from Azazel," Hermione added. "If we have to, he says we can kill you."

Kalawarner sneered. "We don't take orders from traitors who will pander to Devils," she retorted. "We will show him what the true power of the Fallen is."

Harry noticed, however, that Raynare had a more pensive look to her. When she noticed him looking at her, she said, "We've come too far to stop now."

"No, you haven't," Harry said. "But continue like this, and you will."

"Tough talk, coming from a fledgling Devil," Kalawarner sneered.

"Asia, hide," Harry hissed urgently, handing her the Cloak of Invisibility (having kept it ready in case of this), before he said, "I have lived more in seventeen years than I'm sure you have lived in seventeen millennia!"

"How dare you?!" Kalawarner snarled. "I'm only three thousand and forty-five!"

Harry grinned. "You look every second of it." Not true: Kalawarner, like Raynare, was very beautiful, albeit in a cruelly elegant sort of way. But the barb hit home, and Kalawarner began to fling Light-Spears with abandon. Harry took to the skies on his own wings. "Now, now, I think we have to go on a date first before you penetrate me with your pointy thing, and I'm a married man."

"Oh, how quaint, a Devil who is faithful to that big-titted slut of a wife," Kalawarner sneered.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Rias is worth a thousand, no, a _million_ of you. And that's a conservative estimate." A smirk came over his features. "Besides, she's open to threesomes on occasion. We had one with lovely Akeno not long after the wedding. Boy, you never heard Sirius complain so much!"

"Harry!" Hermione yelled as she fought against Raynare, blizzards of Light-Spears clashing against each other. "Stop discussing your sex life with the enemy!"

"It's called psychological warfare, Hermione! I can tell Kalawarner hasn't gotten any for decades!"

"Oh, you are _DEAD! ALONG WITH EVERYONE YOU HOLD DEAR!_ " Kalawarner screamed, lunging forward.

But it wasn't just for psychological warfare reasons that Harry was taunting Kalawarner. He was preparing another Steam Power attack. Just as Kalawarner was about to impale him with a Light-Spear, Harry unleashed it. Suddenly, the Fallen began to scream in agony, convulsing and thrashing. Her left leg burst in a gory spray.

"That's your first and last warning, Kalawarner," Harry said. All the gaiety and humour had gone from his tone. In its place was a ruthless Devil, at the end of his mercy. "You have two choices. Leave Asia alone, or die."

Kalawarner glared at him, her eyes fogged over with pain, hatred, and fury, before snarling, " _I CHOOSE_ _ **FUCK YOU!**_ "

But even as she lunged, Harry unleashed the rest of the spell. Kalawarner seemed to swell, bloat, screaming briefly in agony, before finally, her once-beautiful body burst in a bloody spray of viscera and gore.

Harry watched dispassionately as the mangled remains of Kalawarner, little more than a blood and meat-covered skeleton, fell to the ground with a wet splat. Quietly, without any humour, just some small regret, he muttered, "You chose… _poorly_."

A sudden scream cut off, and Harry found himself looking for Asia. He caught glimpses of her underneath the Cloak as it was opened and closed around her, being manhandled by a familiar figure: Freed. Somehow, the deranged Stray Exorcist had found Asia. Maybe he had seen her running off with the Cloak, donning it, and was able to hazard a guess. Or maybe he heard her.

As Freed (who seemed to have an artificial arm now) draped the Cloak over himself, he spotted Harry looking at him, and grinned in his insane manner. "SUCKERS!" he howled dementedly, before he closed the Cloak around himself and Asia.

"ACCIO, _ASIA!_ " Harry snarled. But either Freed managed to hang onto the girl, or else he managed to use some means of suppressing magic spells on her. Or maybe Harry, despite aiming for the now invisible duo, simply missed with his spell. Harry swooped down to where the man was, but then, he saw, briefly, the portal the Fallen used to get around. Then, nothing.

The fires of anger threatened to well up within him, before he forced himself to calm down. Not stop being angry. But rather, be _calm_. Anger without calm was like Fiendfyre, hard to control and liable to hurt you as much as others. Anger with calm was as cold as Serafall's ice magic, remorseless and directed, but controlled.

He landed near Hermione, who had defeated Raynare. Raynare was covered in cuts and bruises, a rather nasty wound from a Light-Spear in her shoulder, and parts of her costume sliced away, effectively giving her a wardrobe malfunction. But Harry knew that the greatest injuries had been those done to her wings: they were now tattered ruins. Harry was brought to mind of the wings of a bird killed by a car, broken and tattered.

Raynare herself looked afraid, but more than that. It seemed like her pride had been destroyed beyond repair, like her wings. Not because she was exposing her breasts to the world thanks to her outfit being destroyed, but because she had been defeated, and worse, she was certain she was going to die at the hands of two very pissed-off people.

Harry glared at Raynare with contempt, before he said to Hermione, "They got away with Asia."

"Then we've got to save her," Hermione said.

"…What about me? Are you going to kill me?" Raynare asked in a small, lost voice.

Harry glared down at her. "No. We're taking you back to Apollonia's, and you are going to tell us everything you know about where Freed took Asia. If you're lucky, we'll just hand you over to Azazel. He'll decide what to do with you. You couldn't just leave Asia alone, could you?"

"As I said…we've gone too far. Some things, you just can't back out of."

Harry disagreed, but even so, he couldn't help but feel some small pity for the Fallen in front of him. Anger and hatred for what she did…but also pity. He just hoped that it wasn't too late for Asia, though, or no pity would save Raynare's life…

 **CHAPTER 14 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And there you have it: Asia's abduction. I'm working towards saving Raynare's life, if only because I want to set her at least on the path to redemption.**

 **Anyway, some news. I will be ending this fic after the 16** **th** **chapter. It's nearly at the end of the Asia arc, and I will be posting the last two chapters as part of my one-year anniversary update, around April 21** **st** **. I need some more complete fics under my belt, and I knew I was going to end this one soon. My progress through this story has been, frankly, astonishing. I've already all but finished it in a month, though the last couple of chapters will come with my anniversary update.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Dragonknight-Flameis** **: Read my omake/short story collection based on this story called** ** _Tales of the Fall_** **, namely** ** _Tale 2: Leviathan and Snake_** **, for what happened to Nagini afterwards. You might get a chuckle out of it. Can you say 'Prinny Beach Volleyball'?**

 **moon so bright** **: Thanks. I only got the Gasper/Dio Brando connection from TV Tropes. The third chapter of** ** _Tales of the Fall_** **(which will be posted soon, alongside the last chapters of this story at the latest) actually looks at Gasper and Harry being friends, as well as mentioning, in passing, that Rias once persuaded Gasper to yell "ZA WARUDO!", though the dhampir did draw the line at steamrollers.**

 **Akuma-Heika** **: Okay, you've got me there. Necron IS a better example. But frankly, Yu Yevon isn't even mentioned until after you kick Yunalesca's scantily-clad arse.**

 **Duanemaster** **: While bacon remains her favourite, Hedwig actually enjoys a variety of foods in human form. And yes, she has learned to cook.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	16. Chapter 15: Saving a Friend

**CHAPTER 15:**

 **SAVING A FRIEND**

Once upon a time, Harry ventured into the Chamber of Secrets and faced a Basilisk in order to save Ginny Weasley's life from a Horcrux of Voldemort. Now, he was planning something similar, going into the heart of enemy territory to save a friend.

The two Peerages (save for Gasper: despite his desire to help Asia, the sad truth was that his control over his Sacred Gear was still not quite good enough) had gathered once more at the Granger residence. Emma was interrogating Raynare, who had been given a blanket to drape around her shoulders in a small kindness she frankly didn't really deserve. Then again, the Fallen looked resigned to her fate.

As it turned out, this quartet of Fallen (down to two now that Raynare was captured and Kalawarner was dead: Dohnaseek and Mittelt) were acting independently of Kokabiel. They were more interested in gaining a foothold in the area than they were in Kokabiel's intent on starting a whole new war between Heaven and the Underworld, and showing the superiority of the Fallen. Azazel's seeming apathy and willingness to treat with the Devils had frustrated the quartet, and given their contempt towards humans, they decided to eliminate Sacred Gears from what they considered to be the unworthy (which was to say everyone), and steal those that they thought would be useful.

Raynare was startled to discover that, instead of the Twice Critical she thought Issei had, he had Boosted Gear, one of the Longinuses. She began to laugh bitterly at the irony, that the worthless pervert she had deceived and turned into a Light-Spear shish-kebab was actually a bearer of a Longinus, and one of the most famous ones to boot.

She was also startled to hear that the two Peerages knew where their base was already, though she added some more information: they had set up a hidden basement with the Sacred Gear extraction apparatus beneath the derelict church. They'd also procured the services of a few dozen Stray Exorcists, not quite as dangerous or powerful as Freed, but certainly a half-decent army, and all of them about as principled as Death Eaters.

"They'll extract the Sacred Gear later tonight," Raynare said. "The hours of darkness are those most optimal to extracting a Sacred Gear."

"And they'll take Asia's life with it," Hermione observed, scowling.

Raynare chuckled bitterly. "A sacrifice we were willing to make. Asia is considered a heretic and a witch by the Church. She was excommunicated. She has nobody. You think you are her friends?"

"We _know_ we are her friends," Rias said. "She may have been with the Church, but Azazel asked us to look after her. My beloved jumped on that immediately, and he's rubbed off on me. And Asia…we've only known her for a brief period, but I'd like to think we're friends. And I'd rather end up having a dozen Angels attacking me before I let her die. She had nobody before. Now, she has us."

* * *

They left Raynare under the Grangers' guard, while the two Peerages and Hermione made their way to the derelict church. They thought about whether the Fallen would bring out their forces to guard the back way, but given that their forces had been reduced, they decided to risk a frontal assault instead. They also attacked in the afternoon, hoping to catch the Fallen and their associates by surprise and ensure Asia's survival: Devils are more powerful at night.

Then again, Harry and Rias were so powerful, even the light of day only reduced them to levels that could turn a city into dust.

The complicating factor was the Cloak of Invisibility. Harry had used it for so long, he didn't know what it would be like to be on the receiving end of it. He remembered an old film he had watched once on Hermione's suggestion, a cheesy number called _The Golden Voyage of Sinbad_ , where the main villain, Prince Koura (played by Tom Baker, of all people) got a 'Shield of Darkness', sort of like a Cloak of Invisibility that made him invisible…at least until he stepped into the middle of a massive fountain(1). Koura had managed to dominate Sinbad in the ensuing swordfight until that point.

He had to hope he could use the Summoning Charm to take it. He'd put money on Freed being the first line of defence, and wearing the Cloak to boot. And Freed wouldn't resist making a potshot from hiding.

The moment they entered the derelict church, Harry gathered his magic into the spell, then roared, "ACCIO, _CLOAK OF INVISIBILITY!_ "

With a squawk, Freed seemed to stumble out of thin air, along with one of the Fallen, while the familiar silvery folds of the Cloak shot towards Harry. The Fallen pouted, and stamped her feet, looking for all the world like a young teenager in that pseudo-Victorian style known as Gothic Lolita. "No fair! You've spoiled the fun!"

"What can I say?" Harry asked. "I'm a party pooper. I'm guessing you're Mittelt."

"And you're the bastards who murdered my friends!" Mittelt screeched childishly.

"Kalawarner died because she had the choice to stop, but didn't take it. Raynare's still alive," Hermione said, her wings sprouting from her back ominously. "Azazel would prefer you be taken alive. Well, what's it going to be?"

"I can't speak for cute little Mittelt here," Freed said with a grin, ignoring his Fallen employer as she stamped her feet and snarled at him. He looked at his cybernetic limb before clenching the hand into a fist. "But given that the Devil Formerly Known as the Boy Who Lived took my arm away from me, well, I'm gonna make him watch as I dismember his Peerage, and that of his slutty wife."

Rias narrowed her eyes at the profane Stray Exorcist. "Koneko, Kiba, _break him_. Issei, charge up your Sacred Gear. Once you're ready, feel free to use Promotion and beat the shit out of that guy. Akeno, with me."

"Moony, Padfoot," Harry said. "Help them out. Luna, Neville, with me and Rias and Akeno. We're going to make the raven-winged brat eat crow."

As Koneko, Kiba, Remus and Sirius began attacking Freed, Mittelt sneered. "Oh, great. You guys think you're a match for me?"

"Not a match," Luna said, tilting her head quizzically. "A forest fire(2)." Suddenly, the Fallen reeled, spinning around, screaming, swatting at unseen foes. Then, Luna rushed up to Mittelt, and sent her flying into the air with an uppercut (astonishing for a relatively slender girl to show that strength, but she was a Queen, currently channelling the power of a Rook), with Luna yelling, " _SHORYUKEN!_ "

Harry made a mental note to keep Luna away from playing any more _Street Fighter_ games. That being said, Luna had one interesting ability as a Devil: the Power of Confusion. She could induce confusion and hallucination in her foes, like she did with Mittelt.

Hermione had not been idle. She was forming her Light-Spears, getting into position to annihilate the altar covering the secret entrance to the basement. A blizzard of Light-Spears turned the massive stone altar into dust. "Harry! Rias!"

The two Devils nodded, and Harry looked at Neville and Luna. "Stay here and help."

"Same to you, Akeno. Make sure they don't die," Rias said. "We're going to get Asia."

* * *

The basement was large and grim and dimly lit. Most of the space was taken up by a mass of Stray Exorcists (or should that be a Mass? Such a name for a collective of Stray Exorcists made Harry smirk slightly at the irony), all seedy-looking types who looked more like thugs and killers than men of the cloth. A staircase led to a raised area where Asia, stripped of all but a flimsy slip, was chained to what looked like a cross on the wall, though the ominously green glow emanating from parts of it betrayed its function. This was the apparatus used to extract Sacred Gears.

Right near Asia, sneering at them, was a Fallen wearing a trenchcoat and fedora. Harry recognised him from Hedwig's description as Dohnaseek. And judging by his attitude, there was no negotiating with him.

"Let's go for Forsaken for this lot," Harry whispered to Rias. "Hermione, you feel up to getting Asia off that thing? I'd bet it has holy energy running through it, and only you could touch it without getting hurt."

"I'm gonna give it a bloody good try," the Nephilim said, Light-Spears popping into existence.

"A Nephilim spawn of a traitor, working alongside Devils, all to rescue a nun nobody would miss," Dohnaseek sneered. "How very touching."

" _We_ would miss her," Hermione said. "Azazel would prefer you be taken alive. But if you are stubborn, well, he understands. What's it going to be?"

"What do you think? When your weak human father was still learning to spell his name, I had already conquered armies of Devil-spawn(3)." Dohnaseek remarked, before he yelled at the Stray Exorcists, "Exterminate them!"

Hermione flew up to the ceiling, while Rias and Harry, who had been charging their attack as Hermione and Dohnaseek exchanged taunts, unleashed it. " _Sitri-Gremory Combo Attack: Kefka: Forsaken!_ " they chorused.

Suddenly, most of the Stray Exorcists, who had been charging at them with their weapons, were sucked into a portal into a vista that looked like a cloudscape, bathed in golden light. A strange, malevolent, braying laughter echoed from that portal, before the vaguely heavenly landscape dissolved into static-like lines of black and white energy. And the Strays were disintegrated with a scream, before the portal imploded.

As Dohnaseek gaped, Hermione swooped down and batted the Fallen away with her Light-Spears. Manoeuvring her Light-Spears so that they were between her and the Fallen, she pointed at the chains. " _Alohamora_ ," she intoned. The shackles snapped open. Grabbing the barely conscious Asia, she flew off, only for Dohnaseek to fling Light-Spears at her. One caught her in the shoulder, and she crashed to the floor in a graceless heap, Asia beneath her.

"Bastard!" Harry yelled at Dohnaseek, as he used his Steam Power to burst Stray Exorcists left, right, and centre. The ones who fled, he let go. But the ones who fought, he killed. He went over to Hermione and, with a snarl of pain, tore the Light-Spear from her shoulder, his anger overriding the urge to recoil from touching the Light-Spear.

"Better a bastard than a traitor or Devil-spawn!" Dohnaseek sneered. "All you have done is bought the girl a few minutes." He then swooped down, Light-Spears forming, and grabbed Harry, about to run him through with a Light-Spear in hand, only to drop him with a scream of pain. "What?!"

"I guess either Raynare forgot to tell you about my parents' protection," Harry snarled, "or you forgot about it." He leapt onto Dohnaseek, grabbing the Fallen's face, and glaring into his eyes, even as the flesh beneath his hands began to smoke and char. "My father was a Devil, my mother his Queen, and yet they loved me enough to sacrifice their very lives for my own! Their power is mine. More to the point, it is Rias' as well! And we will use that power to protect those who would be exploited by scum like you! That's the difference between us. I am willing to share power and to protect. You just want power to dominate."

Dohnaseek punched Harry away with bone-breaking force, sending him skidding along the floor, his half-charred face now sporting an angrily deranged look. "I WILL NOT BE LECTURED ON MORALITY BY A DEVIL! I WILL KILL YOU ALL, TEAR THE SACRED GEAR FROM THAT DEVIL'S WHORE OF A NUN, AND THEN, EVERYONE WILL SEE THE SUPERIORITY OF DOHNASEEK!"

Suddenly, a blizzard of Light-Spears hit Dohnaseek, turning him into something resembling a hedgehog with glowing quills. "Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I shall fear no evil," a battered Hermione said, as more Light-Spears formed into existence. "For I am wielding an entire army's worth of _fuck you(_ _4)_."

Harry formed a Steam Guillotine, while Rias formed an orb of her Power of Destruction. "Anything to say, Dohnaseek, before you die?" Rias asked.

Dohnaseek looked at them with the look of someone who knew he was about to die. In a lost voice, he muttered, "Well, that's not fair at all."

"I'm sorry," Rias said coldly. Then, Harry unleashed his Steam Guillotine, Rias' Power of Destruction orb annihilating the left side of Dohnaseek's now-bisected body, and Hermione turning the right side into mince with a blizzard of Light-Spears. Then, Rias added, "We don't give a fuck(5)."

The silence that fell afterwards was interrupted by a small groan of pain. The two Devils and the Nephilim immediately clustered around the source: Asia, who had been knocked unconscious when Hermione crashlanded. Hermione immediately cast a diagnostic charm. The teenaged former nun had a mild concussion, some scrapes and bruises, but thankfully nothing else.

Her eyes flickered open, and when she saw them gathered around her, she smiled. "You came for me."

"Was there any doubt?" Harry asked, kneeling down and picking her up in a bridal carry. "Come on. Let's go home."

"Home…" the teenaged former nun murmured. "Yes. Let's go home…"

 **CHAPTER 15 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Asia rescued! Hope you liked this. A lot of the reason why Harry and the others prevailed wasn't just because they brought the whole strength of their Peerages to bear, but also because their enemies underestimated them. And Harry and Rias had every confidence in them to take on Freed and Mittelt while they rescued Asia.**

 **I've also got a nice little surprise in store for Asia, come the beginning of the sequel. It's something I think, frankly, the character badly deserves.**

 **1\. I've pretty much spoiled the climactic battle of** ** _The Golden Voyage of Sinbad_** **, but given that it's a film that's over three decades old, I can get away with that. Incidentally, it was partly on the strength of his performance as Koura in this film that won Tom Baker the role of the Fourth Doctor in** ** _Doctor Who_** **.**

 **2\. I took this exchange from one of the manga volumes of** ** _Dragonball Z_** **, when a group of Namekians confront Dodoria. Dodoria is the one who says the whole 'forest fire' retort.**

 **3\. This was based on a similar line from the execrable** ** _Battlefield Earth_** **, from a line Terl (played by John Travolta) utters.**

 **4\. I was inspired by a similar couple of lines Mana Kirishima uses in Gregg Landsman's excellent** ** _Neon Genesis Evangelion_** **fanfic,** ** _Nobody Dies_** **. Apparently, he based it on a similar one from an earlier fanfic,** ** _Tiberium Wars_** **.**

 **5\. Taken from episode 2 of** ** _Hellsing Ultimate Abridged_** **, when Jan Valentine is about to be subjected to a hail of bullets.**


	17. Chapter 16: Endings and Beginnings

**CHAPTER 16:**

 **ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS**

It was afterwards, at the Granger household, that they took stock. Freed, sadly, had managed to get away after an enraged Issei managed to slug the Stray Exorcist with his Boosted Gear. The distance the man flew through the windows of the derelict church was apparently impressive, but he had managed to get up and flee while the others were concentrating on subduing Mittelt. Said Fallen was now their prisoner, pouting while tied up with rope and with a cloth gag in her mouth (though Akeno, being the connoisseur of BDSM, did offer a ball gag that she just _happened_ to have on her person).

In his first fight, Issei had actually acquitted himself very well, working well alongside his comrades in Rias' Peerage and Harry's, and using Promotion to its full potential, switching between the attributes of various Evil Pieces on the fly. They hadn't just had to fight Mittelt and Freed either: a few of the Stray Exorcists who had fled decided to try their luck with those they thought were low-level Devils. The more sensible ones just ran for their lives, and thus, kept said lives. The worst-off ones were those who tried their luck with the Queens of the Peerages: between Akeno's sadism and Luna's insanity, death was a mercy.

Mittelt eventually surrendered, though it was clear it was with the utmost reluctance, and mostly because her friend Raynare was still alive. And once Harry, Rias, and Hermione emerged with Asia, they opted to return to the Granger household forthwith. Raynare was astonished to see Mittelt alive: she had believed that neither Mittelt nor Dohnaseek would survive the battle for Asia, if the Devils and Hermione prevailed, anyway.

Asia, meanwhile, was being tended to by Neville, who specialised in healing and defensive magic as Harry's Bishop, while Harry sat next to her, and Rias stood behind her, protectively. The young ex-nun was draped in a blanket to cover the flimsy slip, and nursing a cup of tea. She shivered from more than the cold and her injuries, minor though they were. She knew she had come very close to death. And she had seen many people die too. Admittedly, they were people set on killing her for her Sacred Gear, but even so, it was still a traumatic experience for the naïve teenager. She was going to be killed, and Harry, Rias, and Hermione had to kill those guarding her.

But Asia was worth a thousand, no, a _million_ of those men. Not because of her Sacred Gear, valuable and priceless though it was, as well as it being the catalyst of the conflict with the Fallen. Rather, it her life. She was a genuinely good person who wanted to help people not to score points with a now-deceased God, but because it was the right thing to do. People like her, who managed to remain untainted by the evils of the world despite being affected by them, were rarer than the most precious of metals and jewels. Whereas murderous psychopaths and fanatics who used faith as an excuse to kill and traumatise were depressingly common.

Had Asia died, Harry or Rias might have used an Evil Piece to revive her. But that was to be a last resort. Better to ensure that she didn't die in the first place.

As Emma Granger removed Mittelt's gag, she remarked, "The pair of you have a lot to answer for, you know." Mittelt scowled at her sullenly, while Raynare couldn't meet her eyes. "Treating these people with the same contempt Kokabiel does, even if they aren't Devils. You're lucky to have survived this."

Raynare chuckled bitterly. "Lucky? I'm a prisoner of two Devil Peerages, and a Fallen and her Nephilim spawn. Whatever's befallen me, it isn't good luck."

"Given that you two are still alive, it's better luck than you deserve, Raynare," spoke a voice. A trio of figures entered the living room, all familiar to Harry, though he had only met one of them once. Two of them were Sirzechs Lucifer and Serafall Leviathan. But they hadn't spoken. That belonged to a man dressed in a kimono, with a thin beard, and a blonde fringe to his otherwise dark hair. His face was saturnine, and generally filled with good humour, though he was all-business now.

"Azazel…" Raynare whispered.

"In the flesh. Oh, Raynare, Mittelt, why didn't you listen? You very nearly broke the ceasefire with your actions. A ceasefire, I might add, that we're actually in the earliest stages of turning into a full peace treaty. We only need Heaven to come to the table, and Michael ain't returning my calls yet," Azazel said. "Then again, it helps that we share the same real estate with the Devils to begin negotiations."

"I still say it was one of you who pinched my Prinnies!" Serafall pouted.

"Wait, what?" Harry asked.

"Some idiot allegedly broke into Serafall's quarters in the Sitri Estate," Azazel said. "The only Fallen I reckon who's insane and powerful enough to even attempt that would be Kokabiel, which is disturbing enough. Whoever it was, they made off with those Prinnies Serafall and Ajuka Beelzebub made of the Dursleys, Voldemort, and Dumbledore. Not to mention that Batrachian Bitch Umbridge."

"I still have my Pawn Nagini-chan, though!" Serafall said. "So I guess that's something."

"It could have been a rather stupid High-Class Devil wanting to mess with you, Serafall. And there's still surprisingly little evidence of a break-in," Sirzechs said. "The upshot is, those six are gone. They may have escaped, or were taken by someone."

"Marvellous," Harry scowled.

"Anyway, we're getting off the point," Azazel said, walking over to his Fallen underlings. "You two have caused me not only considerable embarrassment, but endangered quite delicate negotiations. I know you two, along with Kalawarner and Dohnaseek, were frustrated with the status quo, but frankly, I don't want to see the horrors of war again, no matter how glorious you idiots think it! Especially a war started over something as trivial as a couple of Sacred Gears! That isn't righteous, it's moronic!" He indicated Hermione, Harry, Rias, and Asia. "Devils, Fallen, and humans working together, and not for any selfish reasons, but out of just a desire to do some good! That's what you should take as an example! But no. You, Mittelt, act like a spoiled child!" He jabbed his finger at the Fallen who looked like a teenager. "And you, Raynare, you thought that by doing this, you knew better than me!" He jabbed his finger at Raynare. "I sent Asia here because I knew she was safer with Apollonia, her child, and two High-Ranking Devils and their Peerages, than with anyone in the main part of Grigori! Apollonia and I haven't always seen eye to eye, but I can at least trust her with important stuff!"

After a moment, Serafall pouted. "You didn't say anything about So-tan."

"Hey, it's not that I didn't trust your sister, Serafall," Azazel said. "But she has more duties as president of the Student Council at Kuoh Academy. Besides, you had your cousin looking after Asia."

Asia looked at them, before looking at Harry and Rias. "Umm, are these two of the Four Great Satans?" she asked.

"Yeah," Harry said. "Sirzechs is Rias' brother and the current Lucifer, while Serafall is my cousin and the current Leviathan."

"Oh." Asia had been told what they were like before, but given that it was a bit hard to believe, her scepticism was understandable.

Serafall had, by this time, taken notice of Asia, and was in front of her. "Oh, you're so cute, Asia-chan. You shouldn't look so sad in your eyes."

As Asia looked up nervously at Serafall, Azazel cleared his throat. "Now, circumstances have dictated that I come to this town and take up a more permanent residence here for the time being," he said. "That means you two are going to be on a short leash from now on. I'm going to let you back into the Grigori proper, but on probation. You're lucky you only lost your wings, Raynare."

Raynare merely looked morose, while Mittelt pouted. Still, Harry reflected, it was a better outcome than it could have been. Asia was alive, along with Hermione, Rias, and the two Peerages. Raynare and Mittelt had been captured. So, it was better than he had hoped.

Then, Raynare looked up at him, and said, "By the way, thanks for pointing out that U-No-Poo stuff at the shop. I gave some to Freed earlier today."

Harry looked up, and then a smirk crossed his features, one matched on Rias' face, and a few of those present. A few began to laugh, in spite of the horror that had gone on earlier. Asia looked around, confused. "I don't get it."

"Raynare bought a joke item from the Weasley twins," Harry explained. "And she's used it on Freed. He's going to have something of a traffic jam in his bowels for quite a while."

The laughter and good humour didn't dispel much of the tension that had built up. But it dispelled a little, and that was what counted, really. Even so, the theft of the Prinnies and Umbridge nagged away at Harry's mind. He didn't like the thought of them being free, especially Dumbledore and Voldemort…

* * *

They sat, a little apprehensively, in a dark chamber, in the only light in that chamber. Five of them had been restored to relative youth, and had changed in appearance in other regards. A dark-haired, thin-faced youth who was coldly handsome. A young man with a broken nose and twinkling blue eyes. A woman who was never truly pretty, having a rather batrachian face. A somewhat better-looking woman, albeit with equine features. A big burly bear of a man, built like a footballer, the suet he had gained during his adult life mostly gone in favour of muscle, and with a distinctive moustache. And a burly teenaged form of that man.

They wondered what they were doing here. The one thing that united them was hatred for a certain Harry Sitri, and his cousin.

Then, a man approached out of the darkness, wearing elaborate old-fashioned clothing. His face was thin, pale, and cruel, his ears elongated and diabolical, his eyes red, his hair long and dark, his fingernails like black claws. But despite his features, he was not a Devil.

"Who are you?" the young man with the broken nose demanded.

"Your saviour, Albus Dumbledore. The one who restored your form and your youth. And the one who has given you power. The power for revenge."

"Are you a Devil?" the batrachian woman demanded.

"Take a care with your tone, Dolores Umbridge, because I may need to confiscate that tongue of yours. Which is a shame, as I have done you all a favour. And no, I am not a Devil. I would thank you not to lump me in with them."

The young man with the coldly handsome features blinked in realisation, before his eyes narrowed. "One of the Fallen, then."

"Indeed, Tom Riddle. Yes, I know you prefer your pathetic little anagrammatic _nom de guerre_ , but frankly, I don't care. You've all been given a second chance by me, and if you are wise, you will take it. Each of you have cause to hate Harry Sitri and his ill-begotten clan of Devils. I have need of people like you. Even now, I am working on a plan to bring the House of Sitri, along with the rest of the Underworld, to their collective knees."

Dumbledore could certainly get behind a plan that not only dealt with Harry Sitri, but also did much to harm the Devils, in his continuing delusion that he was the most Light person of all. And all of those present wanted revenge, not just on Harry, but also on Serafall Leviathan, for punting them around (or in Umbridge's case, forcing her to be part of Serafall's self-produced magical girl shows).

"We'll do it," Umbridge said. "But who are you, anyway? I mean, we know what you are, but who you are is another matter entirely."

The Fallen in front of them smiled rather coldly. "Who am I? Ah, what a question. I am the strongest of the Fallen. I am the slaughterer of Devils. I am the Angel of the Stars. I have many names, Dolores Umbridge, but I am usually known by just one."

"And what is that, pray tell?" Dumbledore asked.

The cold smile widened ever-so-slightly. "Kokabiel. My name is Kokabiel. And I'm sure we're going to get along just **_fine_** …"

 **CHAPTER 16 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And here you have it, the end of the story, but with a hook for the sequel. Which will come sooner rather than later, but I want to work on some other fics first.**

 ** _Fall to Zenith_** **'s popularity, frankly, startled me when I began it. It was also one of the easiest to write, being done in a little over a month, though you guys had to wait two to read the conclusion. It's also fast become one of my most popular fics. Arsao Tome even started his own version of my story.**

 **Anyway, now is the logical time to end this fic. I will be back with more adventures of Harry Sitri, his wife Rias, their Peerages, and Hermione the Nephilim. But I hope you've enjoyed the journey so far, and will enjoy the sequel. Also, I'm hoping to start another fic based on** ** _Highschool DxD_** **, and hopefully a decent one after the fiasco of** ** _Sympathy for the Devil_** **, which was rushed out to cash in on the success of this fic. Although I'm leaning towards another Harry Potter crossover with** ** _Highschool DxD_** **, what the story will turn out to be is still up in the air. You'll just have to wait. And, of course, there's still the omake compilation** ** _Tales of the Fall_** **to enjoy.**

 **Until then, in the words of the Village, "Be seeing you!"**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


End file.
